By skyforbes 
Sunday 12/14 1PM
Sunday 12/21 1PM
Sunday 12/28 1PM
Step back in time and experience Christmas in mid-twentieth century Bay Ridge with site-specific stories, photos, audio, and more. I’m really excited to have put together and to lead this brand new walking tour five times during the holiday season. It's a bit different from my other walking tours and will feature a lot more on-site media.
Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast — our unique holiday Bay Ridge experience will focus on and include:
• The Birth of Bay Ridge: From a Change of Name to the Festive Rites Originated In Dim Ages Past, we’ll start with recollections that stretch back all the way to Bay Ridge’s name origin in December of 1853 while we talk about the origin of Christmas trees and other holiday accoutrements
• Stories from the Shore Road USO, The Shore Road Hospital, FDR’s Christmas messages, The Battle of the Bulge, how Bay Ridge Christmas during World War II, and departing for the European theater from Bay Ridge Harbor with a Christmas message from President Roosevelt
• Local Christmas tree and decorating memories as Bay Ridge became a diverse community three generations after Ellis Island opened while Jack Benny trimmed his Christmas tree
• Bay Ridge’s Christmas Bells and an Atomic Christmas editorial from Fort Hamilton High School in 1961 as Cold War fears invaded Holiday cheer
• Stories of Greek Christmases from Father Paul and St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church
• A Christmas Dream for Bay Ridge from J. Frank Griffin at the original Bay Ridge Home Reporter location
• The many days of Norwegian Christmas with yule concerts, Christmas puddings, and other Norse traditions by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
• Bay Ridge’s happiest childhood Christmas memories and biggest Christmas surprises
• Christmas caroling at the old Lincoln Savings Bank
• Stories of what young Bay Ridge children wanted from Santa Claus
• Bing Crosby, Holsten's, The Alpine, and White Christmas
• And more!