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The New Yorkers Podcast

The New Yorkers Podcast

Written by: A New York City Podcast By Kelly Kopp With Executive Producer Jae Watson
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Welcome to The New Yorkers Podcast, hosted by Kelly Kopp (@newyorkcitykopp). Each week, Kelly sits down with the people who make New York City what it is... lifelong New Yorkers, creators, entrepreneurs, artists, community leaders, personalities, and fascinating characters with a New York story to tell. From growing up in the five boroughs to building a life in the greatest city in the world, every guest brings a different perspective on what it means to be a New Yorker. Executive Producer: Jae Watson (@studiojae170) New episodes every other Tuesday.© 2025 The New Yorkers Podcast Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • New Yorkers Volunteer to Commemorate 9/11 -With Ed Welter

    New Yorkers Volunteer to Commemorate 9/11 -With Ed Welter
    Sep 15 2026
    In this episode, Kelly is joined by Ed Welter. Ed has operated a construction company for more than 40 years, worked as the chief dialysis technician at Kings County Hospital and has volunteered at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. He is also a licensed New York City tour guide who leads tours of the historic Woolworth Building. Kelly asks Ed about growing up in Alphabet City, where one of his earliest memories is of his grandfather coming home from work and bathing in the kitchen while listening to “Volare.” Years later, Ed visited the Tenement Museum with his father and was reminded of his grandparents’ home. Ed then talks about his mother’s battle with kidney disease. When she died, she was the longest-surviving woman on dialysis in the world. At only eight years old, Ed was trained to help operate her home dialysis machine. His mother helped found the American Association of Kidney Patients and traveled to the House of Representatives to help secure dialysis treatment for Americans who needed it. Ed tells Kelly why 38th Street—the street where the podcast studio is located—holds such a special place in his heart. His father’s construction company was based there, his parents met there and Ed later met his wife there. He also talks about getting married, moving to Long Island to raise his family and never quite feeling at home away from New York City. After separating from his wife, Ed moved back to Manhattan and began volunteering at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. That experience inspired him to volunteer when the 9/11 Memorial opened and eventually become a licensed New York City tour guide. Ed believes many of the best things in his life came from volunteering. While volunteering at the 9/11 Museum, Ed met Helen Post Curry, the great-granddaughter of Woolworth Building architect Cass Gilbert. She invited him to become a guide at the Woolworth Building, where he met his future business partner, Bob Gelber. After working there as guides, Ed and Bob eventually took over the tour company and helped bring public tours back to one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks. Ed also tells the remarkable story of how Frank W. Woolworth rose from humble beginnings to build a retail empire and commission what became the tallest building in the world when it opened in 1913. Finally, Kelly asks Ed to share the heartfelt story of the birdhouse that was left at the 9/11 Memorial to honor one of the victims of the attacks. But above all else—Ed Welter is a New Yorker. Kelly's Social Media: @NewYorkCityKopp Jae's Social Media @StudioJae170 Book a tour with Ed & Bob! https://woolworthtoursnyc.comhttps://www.facebook.com/WoolworthToursNYChttps://www.instagram.com/woolworthtoursnyc/https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d34318952-Reviews-Woolworth_Tours_NYC-New_York_City_New_York.htmlhttps://www.viator.com/tours/New-York-City/Official-Woolworth-Building-Lobby-Tour-with-Vault-Access/d687-5643763P3Info@woolworthtoursnyc.com Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro and Guest Background(00:01:57) - Growing Up in Alphabet City(00:03:38) - The Tenement Museum and Family Memories(00:07:12) - Mother's Battle with Kidney Disease and Dialysis Legacy(00:10:17) - Learning Dialysis as a Child and TV Feature(00:11:39) - Life in Manhattan, Marriage, and Long Island Years(00:13:47) - Returning Home to New York City(00:15:30) - Billionaires Row and City Growth(00:17:11) - Morningside Heights and Cathedral of St. John the Divine Tours(00:18:37) - The Vertical Tour and the Sweeper Story(00:20:58) - Surprise Concert with Clapton and Bon Jovi(00:21:55) - Joining the 9/11 Memorial as a Volunteer(00:23:42) - Becoming a Licensed Tour Guide(00:25:17) - Meeting Helen Curry and the Woolworth Building Tours(00:26:07) - Rebuilding the Tour Company After COVID(00:28:38) - Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Smart Homes(00:30:12) - The Tunnel to Towers Run and Stephen Siller's Story(00:33:58) - History and Legacy of the Woolworth Building(00:35:24) - Woolworth's Segregation History and New Tours(00:37:45) - Lighting the Koenig Sphere(00:43:09) - Knicks Parade Thank You(00:43:56) - The Birdhouse Tribute Story(00:48:53) - 25th Anniversary Security and Dignitaries(00:50:57) - Closing Thoughts on New York and Doing Good
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    53 mins
  • Born in Brooklyn: Dan of All Day NYC on Growing Up New York

    Born in Brooklyn: Dan of All Day NYC on Growing Up New York
    Sep 1 2026

    On this episode of The New Yorkers Podcast, Kelly Kopp sits down with Dan from All Day NYC for a funny, nostalgic, and very New York conversation about growing up in Bensonhurst and Gravesend, Coney Island summers, Canal Street, pizza, bagels, the subway, viral NYC moments, the Knicks championship parade, and what it really means to be a New Yorker.

    Dan also shares how All Day NYC got started, some of his favorite viral moments, and his memories of being a 16-year-old high school student in Brooklyn on September 11th, 2001.

    We also talk about Kelly’s experience surviving a 2017 NYC subway derailment, whether the subway feels safer today, and why this past summer felt like New York had finally found some of its old energy again.

    Chapters
    • (00:00:00) - New Yorkers Podcast
    • (00:04:05) - Living in Brooklyn in the 90s
    • (00:07:09) - Cops Chase Car stereo sellers down Canal Street
    • (00:09:47) - Bay Ridge resident on the high cost of living
    • (00:12:45) - What's the Problem with Chipotle?
    • (00:13:12) - NYC on Social Media
    • (00:14:59) - School Bus Rave
    • (00:15:58) - Riding A One Wheeler In The City
    • (00:18:44) - Raccoons Go Viral
    • (00:19:59) - The Knicks Parade in NYC
    • (00:22:53) - Crazy People Try To Get Through The Woolworth Building
    • (00:23:55) - The Knicks' 53-Year-Old Tattoo
    • (00:24:41) - NYC Mayor on the Summer
    • (00:27:21) - World Cup and Fourth of July celebrations in NYC
    • (00:29:27) - The Summer of Celebrations
    • (00:30:49) - Favorite Pizza Places in NYC
    • (00:33:27) - Pizza on Bleecker Street
    • (00:35:22) - Upper Manhattan's best restaurant, 'Bitcoin Steakhouse'
    • (00:36:34) - Bagels and Drinking Water
    • (00:39:10) - The New York City Water Fountains
    • (00:39:49) - NYC Subway Rider on Safety
    • (00:42:40) - Jumping off the subway in NYC
    • (00:45:18) - What Happened On September 11, 2001
    • (00:48:22) - What Was It Like To Be In NYC On September 11th?
    • (00:51:05) - The 9/11 memorial in Manhattan
    • (00:53:46) - The Oculus Museum
    • (00:54:38) - A Woman's Talk About 911
    • (00:55:19) - Questions for New York City Residents
    • (00:55:53) - Top New Yorkers Talk About The City
    • (00:56:56) - Dan on What It Means to Be a New Yorker
    • (00:58:05) - All Day NYC
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • *Summer Re-Air* Thriller NYC! -With Zombie Papas: Jorge and Todd

    *Summer Re-Air* Thriller NYC! -With Zombie Papas: Jorge and Todd
    Aug 18 2026

    The New Yorkers are on Summer Vacation this week. So join them as they look back on a previous episode while they look forward to the Halloween season!

    ****************************************

    In this episode, Kelly is joined by Zombie Papas Jorge and Todd, the organizers of Thriller NYC!

    Join them as they introduce themselves. Jorge tells us how he came to New York, and what it was like moving here. Todd, on the other hand, talks about being third-generation from Brooklyn. They tell us about how they met, as well as their costume wedding. They talk about how they found Thriller NYC and how long they've been involved with it.

    Jorge talks about the founding of Thriller in the West Village Halloween parade. He talks about the first time it was done and what it was like when it first started. He talks about how he initially joined another Thriller group because Thriller NYC was full. Todd talks about how Jorge invited him to join Thriller one year, but not in the way that he had wanted to.

    Kelly asks about the process of putting together something so massive. Todd talks about the process of how people get tickets and join the group. He goes over what the rehearsals look like as well as what the timetable is like to put on something like that. They both talk about what people are getting out of their ticket. They talk about how it is important for them to form a safe community, and they emphasise moving your body in community, and the healing power that it can have.

    Jorge and Todd thank Kelly for his viral video of the performance, and they talk about how that helped them get put back on the map and continue post Covid. They also talk about what it feels like to put together this massive project every year, and the cultural impact that it has on the world. They talk about their trip to South Africa and how Thriller even has an impact there.

    Finally, Kelly asks them some quick fire questions about the dance, the Halloween parade, the costumes, and where to eat after.

    But, above all else; Jorge and Todd are New Yorkers.

    Kelly's Social Media

    @NewYorkCityKopp

    Join Thriller NYC!

    https://www.thrillernyc.com/

    @Thrillernyc

    Donate to the village Halloween parade!

    https://halloween-nyc.com/donate/

    Jae's Social Media

    @Studiojae170

    Chapters
    • (00:00:00) - New Yorkers Podcast
    • (00:01:57) - This New York Couple Had A 'Thriller' Wedding
    • (00:05:18) - The Halloween Parade With Thriller
    • (00:05:49) - The Thriller Dance in the NYC Parade
    • (00:09:08) - How To Participate in the Parade Thriller Dance
    • (00:11:52) - The West Village Thriller Parade
    • (00:14:27) - The Memphis Thriller Parade
    • (00:18:47) - The New York Thriller Dance
    • (00:23:18) - Mets Mascots at the Parade
    • (00:25:32) - The Cast of Thriller
    • (00:28:33) - Thriller's Spring Parade
    • (00:30:55) - What Makes The Thriller Dance So New York?
    • (00:34:12) - Dancing To Michael Jackson's Thriller in Mozambique
    • (00:36:21) - The New York City Zombie Parade
    • (00:38:14) - How the Village Halloween Parade Works
    • (00:41:02) - Thriller's NYC Parade
    • (00:41:29) - Village Halloween Parade
    • (00:43:12) - The Halloween Parade in New York
    • (00:43:59) - What It Means to Be A New Yorker
    • (00:46:02) - New Yorkers: Thank You!
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
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