The Old Slip piers along the East River, just below the end of Wall Street, used to be known as the Banana Docks for its frequent fruit shipments from around the world, including ships containing hundreds of bushels of bananas.

These images were obtained from the Library of Congress and are in the Public Domain. More information, as well high-resolution scans of the original glass plates, can be found here and here.

Before New York built its legendary subway system, an inventor quietly constructed a different kind of underground transit—powered not by electricity, but by air. In 1870, Alfred Ely Beach opened the Beach Pneumatic Transit beneath Broadway, a functioning subway that silently whisked passengers through a sealed tunnel using air pressure. It was revolutionary, popular—and ultimately, shut down.

This episode dives into the forgotten story of America’s earliest subway experiment, built in secret under Manhattan at a time when the city’s streets were choked with chaos. We’ll explore how political corruption, especially from Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall, crushed the project—and how the remains were unearthed decades later during construction of the modern subway system.

Discover the bold innovation that came before its time—and what might still be buried beneath New York’s streets.

Chloe Rose Fineman is an American actress and comedian who has been a repertory player on Saturday Night Live since 2021. She joined the show as a featured player in 2019 during its 45th season. Fineman is known for her portrayal of Kelsey, a new bride and mother whose friends celebrate her life events by changing popular song lyrics to tell the story of her affair. Also all her hilarious impressions!