Detour - The Unofficial Podcast

Follow in the footsteps of the Suffragettes as they bomb, slash, and smash for their cause - the right to vote!

Starting Location

12 Saint George street

1 hour, 15 minutes

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Description

The suffragettes were a militant organization that campaigned for 'Votes for Women' during the early 20th century. This was a long and dangerous battle, fought by women who had the courage to stand up and be counted.

Come walk through London's West End, where suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst and her foot soldiers carried out their campaign — from window-smashings and hunger strikes to mass protests and even bombings. We will discover exactly why the government regarded these women as the biggest threat to the British Empire.

Emmeline's great granddaughter, Helen Pankhurst, will take you into the National Gallery to stand in front of the very painting the Suffragette set off a homemade bomb. And we'll sit down to a traditional English tea in the very dining room where the Suffragettes planned their militant actions. Let's discover how this movement of brave women changed England, and laid the groundwork for the equal rights movements of today.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best taken between 8:00am- 4:00pm, Monday to Friday, or Saturday morning before noon. Outside these hours, one or more of the stops may be closed.
• This is one of the most bustling neighborhoods of London, so wear comfortable shoes and expect lots of pedestrians on the streets.

Credits

Narrator

Dr Helen Pankhurst

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Producer

Danielle Clark

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Matthew Strasser 

Cameron Taylor

Featured Voices

Carolyn Backhouse

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Podcast Episode Contributing Volunteers

Kris L.

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Experience Shoreditch, a multicultural hub with great food, and amazing art, through the eyes of some diverse locals.

Starting Location

2 Puma Court

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Duration

1 hour

Description

Colourful and vibrant, today Shoreditch is known as one of London's trendiest neighborhoods with cool street art, shops, cafes, bars, and curry houses around every corner. What many visitors don't realize is that for more than 300 years Shoreditch has welcomed wave after wave of immigrants including French protestants in the 17th century, Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe in the 19th century, and the Bangladeshi community since the '50s. Each one of these groups has added a layer to the neighborhood, making it what it is today.

You will explore Shoreditch with Rejina Sabur Cross-a blogger, self-described food geek, and an avid cook. Raised in a traditional Bangladeshi household in west London, Rejina's connection to Shoreditch goes back to her childhood when her family came here to do the weekly shopping. She later moved to the area and got to know all the best local places for food, drink, and shopping.

Let Rejina introduce you to other locals who will share their favorite parts of their neighbourhood with you. Enjoy their stories as you explore beautiful landmarks like the Brick Lane Mosque and Spitalfields Market, and modern Shoreditch, browsing through one of the coolest record shops and trying delicious and colorful Ghanaian chocolate.

Tips & Hours

• This tour is an easy walk with no steep inclines or stairs required.
• This tour is best experienced any day between 10am-6pm, so you have enough time to enjoy all the stops.
• Some of the stops on this Detour have inconsistent hours. If you are especially interested in the Spitalfields Market, make sure you start the tour a couple of hours before 5pm, when it closes.
• Bring cash so you can purchase some of the treats you’ll discover along the walk.
• London weather is unpredictable so please bring an umbrella.

Credits

Narrator

Rejina Sabur

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

London Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Producer

Irene Fernandez

Editor

Connor Stock

Sound Design

Julian Kwasneski 

Matt Strasser

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Sam Gordon 

• Navigation photos: Irene Fernandez

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Discover how a generation of Chinese immigrants turned London's red light district into one of the world's biggest Chinatowns.

Starting Location

63 Rupert Street

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Duration

35 minutes

Description

Walking through London's Chinatown is a potent sensory experience with fire-red lanterns, sweet and sour aromas of traditional cooking, and the sound of Chinese languages being spoken around every corner of the cobbled streets. Second generation Chinatown business owner, Lucy Mitchell, will lead you through this bustling district she calls home.

When her father, Stanley Tse, first arrived by boat from Hong Kong as an impoverished teenager he encountered a red light district. As a kid growing up in Chinatown in the 70s, Lucy saw first-hand how her father's generation worked to build one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world. Today, as an executive of her family's supermarket, she feels it is her turn to ensure that Chinatown remains the cultural hub for generations to come.

As she shares her family's story, Lucy will take you into Chinatown's first Cantonese bakery, where you'll get to sample authentic Chinese pastries. You'll visit London's answer to a Chinese bazaar and learn about the Chinese zodiac calendar. And, of course, you'll see where it all started, Lucy's supermarket, SeeWoo.

Tips & Hours

• This tour is an easy walk with no steep inclines or stairs required.
• This Detour is best between 12pm - 8pm when all the businesses along the route are open.
• Ten pounds will buy you three Sichuan skewers and a Cantonese cake from the bakery. Make sure you bring your appetite!
• London weather is unpredictable so please bring an umbrella.

Credits

Narrator

Lucy Mitchell

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

London Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Producer

Danielle Clark

Editor

Connor Stock

Sound Design

Julian Kwasneski 

Matt Strasser

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Sam Gordon 

• Navigation photos: Laurie Harris

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Get a glimpse of what it was like to live in London during the Blitz of WWII.

Starting Location

Waterloo

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Duration

45 minutes

Description

During the height of WWII Britain experienced nearly nightly bombing raids that came to be known as "The Blitz." The Blitz killed thousands of people and destroyed nearly one million homes in London alone—particularly in working class neighborhoods like Southwark. While the men were away fighting on the front lines it was the women remained on the homefront trying to keep to keep London functioning.

Social historian and broadcaster Carol Harris will be your guide through Southwark as it was in the 1940s as you step into the time capsule that is Roupell Street, a hidden historical working class area many Londoners don't know about. Experience the hustle and bustle of Britain's busiest railway station and bear witness to a massive evacuation. Discover a local church's surprising connection to the war and hide in the secret crypt beneath it. Soak in the atmosphere at a historic pub and take a stab at trying to get home during a "blackout."

As you walk through the streets of Southwark, Carol will explain why many women in London couldn't go back to domestic life after the war ended; and she'll show you the legacy they left behind.

Tips & Hours

• This tour is a moderate walk which includes some stairs.
• The best time for taking this tour is between 11am-4pm weekdays when all stops will be open.
• The Church we are going to visit is open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and the adjacent crypt can usually be accessed between 10am-5pm. Both are closed on weekends.
• London weather is unpredictable so please bring an umbrella.

Credits

Narrator

Carol Harris

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

London Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Producer

Ana Beltschewa

Editor

Connor Stock

Sound Design

Julian Kwasneski 

Matt Strasser

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Sam Gordon 

• Navigation photos: Ana Beltschewa

Special Thanks

“Southwark at War” by Pam Schweitzer and Rob Davis BBC People’s War (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/) Imperial War Museum Southbank Mosaics (https://www.southbankmosaics.com/) St. John’s Church (http://www.stjohnswaterloo.org/)

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Explore the history of the Queen's Guard and Household Cavalry in this historic neighborhood near Buckingham Palace.

Starting Location

View Google Map of Starting Location

Whitehall Palace, Whitehall

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Duration

1 hour

Description

The Queen's Household Cavalry have been sworn to protect the monarchy since 1660. But what good can they do in their shining armour, when they don't even carry guns? Is this an outdated tradition? James Wharton spent 10 years guarding the Queen as part of her Majesty's Household Cavalry and he'll tell you why he feels the Guard is an institution worth protecting.

On this Detour, he'll explain the monarchy's battle to stay relevant and tell you about the role of the Household Cavalry to protecting the monarch. You'll visit the last remaining structure of the Palace of Whitehall, wander through Horse Guard's Parade, pass through St Jame's Park, and finally arrive outside Buckingham Palace.

And James will share how the pride that the Royals inspire to this day helped him to come out as one of the first openly gay men in the British Army.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken at any time, on any day. But it is best to start between 10:00am- 4:00pm when you can see the Household Cavalry on duty.
• At 11:00am Monday to Saturday, and 10:00am on Sunday, the changing of the guard takes place. To catch this iconic moment, start the tour 10 minutes earlier..
• There is also a 4:00pm inspection of the Cavalry each day. To catch this moment, start the tour at 3:50pm.
• This Detour may be disrupted if any Royal function (such as the Trooping of the Colour, State Visits or Opening of Parliament) is taking place on Horse Guard's Parade. These are rare and wonderful spectacles, but it is worth checking in advance.

Credits

Narrator

James Wharton

Producer

Jamie Brown

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Sound Design

Matthew Strasser 

Cameron Taylor

Music Direction

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Discover a 1000 year-long history of revolution and working class dissent.

Starting Location

The entrance to St Bartholomew's Hospital on West Smithfield Street (EC1A 7BE), Clerkenwell

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Duration

1 hour

Description

Join Alan Dein - broadcaster, writer and life-long Londoner - for a walk through the cobbled streets of Clerkenwell: the city’s centre for radicalism and non-conformism.

With ancient architecture nestling alongside advertising agencies and coffee shops, Alan invites you to scratch the surface of Clerkenwell’s modern wealth. You will discover a history of overcrowded slums, cattle traders and artisans. Here, poverty brushed with power to create an appetite for both compassion and non-conformity - both of which still echo today.

Our journey visits the execution site of rebels such as William “Braveheart” Wallace, the house where Lenin plotted the overthrow of Tsarist Russia, and the overcrowded Rookery slums that made the citizens of Clerkenwell ripe for political activism. But we’ll also go beyond the historical landmarks to see the many remnants of Clerkenwell’s history that still thrive today - the infamous Smithfield meat market, London’s first hospital and the charities and churches which grew along side rebellion to make Clerkenwell the beating heart of left-leaning reform.

Tips & Hours

• This walk is best before 5pm. We don't recommend taking this Detour on Sundays because most of the stops are closed.
• Some of the stops on this Detour have inconsistent hours, but can all be enjoyed from outside too. To see the meat market at its busiest, go between 6am - 8am. Particularly interested in the Marx Memorial Library? Go between noon - 4pm Monday through Thursday.
• Bring few pounds if you’d like to get a drink at the pub along the way
• We will encourage you to sneak into a small section of the meat market that is technically closed after 12 noon. A guard might ask you to leave, but it’s not disruptive if this happens.

Credits

Production

• Written and Narrated by Alan Dein, Broadcaster and Oral Historian 

• Produced by David Waters, Robbie MacInnes and Nina Garthwaite, In The Dark 

• Assistant Producer: Sarah Peters 

• Editor: Aaron With

Sound and Music

• Sound Design, music selection and arrangement by David Waters, In The Dark 

• Ambient Electronic Tracks by Linda Bouchard 

• Piano, Banjo, Marimba Instrumentals from Sessions.Blue

Special Thanks To

• Marx Memorial Library *The London Sound Survey

Cover Photograph

• Photograph by Matt Brown 

• License: http://bit.ly/1ryPA8o

• Original photograph has been cropped and color corrected, and title text has been overlaid

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Walk through London's former docklands and discover why the world's very first police force was founded in Wapping.

Starting Location

21 Brewhouse Lane

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Duration

50 minutes

Description

Today, Wapping may strike a first-time visitor as a quiet, cobblestoned corner of riverside London, with estate agents taking up most of the high street space. But, over 200 years ago, Wapping was the place where the world's very first police force was founded. Why and how did policing as we know it start right here?

Joz Joslin, a former marine police officer, will walk you through Wapping's criminal history while weaving in his personal stories of fighting crime on these very banks. He will show you the giant wharves and warehouses that formed the main entrance to London's trading routes and explain how this trading made the area wealthy. And where there's wealth, there's usually crime.

You'll discover how Wapping in the 1700s became the breeding ground for every type of thievery imaginable. Raise a pint in one of London's oldest pubs and hear about the botched escape attempt of a famous judge. Then walk to the river's edge to find out how one of the most notorious pirates of all time, Captain Kidd, met his grisly end on the shores below.

Tips & Hours

• This tour is a moderate walk which includes some stairs.
• The best time to walk this tour is any day from noon to sundown. During the tour, you’ll walk through a park, Wapping Rose Garden, which locks its gates at dusk.
• St Patrick's Church is usually open, unless it is the site of a wedding or a funeral.
• London weather is unpredictable so please bring an umbrella.

Credits

Narrator

John “Joz” Joslin

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner 

London Series Producer 

Laurie Harris

Producer

Thomas Glasser

Editor

Connor Stock

Sound Design

Julian Kwasneski 

Matt Strasser

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Sam Gordon 

• Navigation photos: Thomas Glasser

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Discover clandestine spy stories along the storied streets of Mayfair, the heart of London's intelligence community.

Starting Location

77 Piccadilly

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Duration

45 minutes

Description

Annie Machon is a former spy for Mi5 who spent her career working in Mayfair's secret government buildings or training recruits on its streets. But in the 1990s, Annie gave it up to become a whistleblower. And she went on the run, pursued by her former colleagues.

Hear Annie's story, and take part in an interactive spy game based on the true case of a spy turned double agent during the Cold War. See the buildings where Britain's spies worked and the pubs where they drank.

Annie will tell you how spies left secret messages at Soviet drop sites, and share how to avoid being followed. And you'll hear about one of the most notorious double agents in British history.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken any day of the week, between 7:00am to 6:00pm.
• This tour can be taken by any number of people. But if there are two or more Detour users, you should consider taking the version of this Detour designed with a multi-person spy game. "Mayfair: To Catch a Spy."

Credits

Narrator

Annie Machon

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Producer

Robbie MacInnes

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Matthew Strasser 

Cameron Taylor

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Play a spy game based on a true spy story, right where it happened: Mayfair, the heart of London's intelligence community.

Starting Location

77 Piccadilly

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Duration

1 hour, 10 minutes

Description

Annie Machon is a former spy for Mi5 who spent her career working in Mayfair's secret government buildings or training recruits on its streets. But in the 1990s, Annie gave it up to become a whistleblower. And she went on the run, pursued by her former colleagues.

Hear Annie's story, and take part in an interactive spy game based on the true case of a spy turned double agent during the Cold War. See the buildings where Britain's spies worked and the pubs where they drank.

Under Annie's tutelage, you'll leave a secret message at a Soviet drop site, learn how to tell when you're being followed, and walk in the shoes of one of the most notorious double agents in British history. If you think you have what it takes to be a spy, come to Mayfair and prove it.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken any day of the week, between 7:00am to 6:00pm.
• To complete the mission, you'll need a pen and a newspaper. Bring your own or buy one at the start of the tour.
• Two or more players will be pitted against each other in a spy game that uses real espionage techniques.
• If you are walking this Detour on your own, you should consider taking the single user version: “Mayfair: A Spy’s Guide”

Credits

Narrator

Annie Machon

Producer

Robbie MacInnes

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Sound Design

Connor Stock

Music Direction

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Dive into an Elizabethan murder mystery and try to determine what happened to legendary playwright Christopher Marlowe.

Starting Location

Deptford

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Duration

1 hour

Description

Playwrigth Christopher Marlowe is best known as the author of Doctor Faustus and the greatest influence on his contemporary, William Shakespeare. But he also had a hidden life as a secret agent in the Elizabethan spy network. As the story goes, on a day in May of 1593, Marlowe met a bizarre and bloody end in a guest-house in Deptford where he was stabbed in the eye with a 12 penny dagger. But what if that wasn't the end of Marlowe after all?

We'll explore this seldom visited corner of London and find out the truth about Marlowe's murder. Was it a simple pub brawl? Was it a politically motivated assassination ordered by Queen Elizabeth I? Or perhaps Marlowe didn't die at all?

In our investigation, you'll retrace Marlowe's steps on the day of his murder, visit the might river Thames, pay homage at Marlowe's unmarked grave, and walk the old Elizabethan dockyards where the great British navy was built. You'll finish the walk at an authentic neighborhood pub where you'll raise a glass to Marlowe and learn the biggest secret of all!

Tips & Hours

• In the summer, this Detour is best taken between 11:30am- 7:00pm, on any day.
• In the winter, it is best taken between 11:30a- 5:00pm, as St Nicholas's churchyard - where Marlowe is buried - closes at dusk.
• The Dog & Bell pub, our final stop, is cash only.

Credits

Narrator

Ros Barber

Producer

Laurie Harris

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Matthew Strasser Cameron Taylor

Featured Voices

Kieron Jecchinis

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Starting Locations of All Detours

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The artists & makers of Hackney Wick make it unique - can this community be rewarded for their role in urban regeneration?

Starting Location

5 Roach Road

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Duration

50 minutes

Description

For decades, a steady migration of creatives have moved into Hackney Wick and taken over the Victorian warehouses and factories - reclaiming them for the purposes of making beautiful and evocative things. Craft breweries, street art, and handmade tiki bars are just a few examples of the creative projects which have found homes in this neighborhood. Hackney Wick has it all.

Our unlikely protagonist is William Chamberlain, a former lawyer who first came across this artistic community in 2005 while he was working on the bid for the London Olympic Games. He realized that change was coming to Hackney Wick, and that the community needed to band together to make sure arts and culture remained at the forefront of the neighborhood's future.

Will takes you through Hackney Wick's creative spaces and introduces you to the people creating in, and sometimes on, the streets. You'll discover what drew them here, what keeps them here and how this corner of East London is teaching the world about nurturing the creative arts.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best taken between 12pm - 8pm when all of the stops as well as other local businesses will be open.
• London weather is unpredictable so please bring an umbrella.
• This tour is a moderate walk which includes some stairs.

Credits

Narrator

William Chamberlin

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

London Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Contributing Producer

David Harris

Editor

Connor Stock

Sound Design

Julian Kwasneski 

Matt Strasser

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Sam Gordon 

• Navigation photos: Laurie Harris

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Follow in the footsteps of Samuel Pepys, as he attempts to save the old city of London from the great fire of 1666.

Starting Location

Byward Street

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Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

Description

In 1666, a huge fire obliterated the old City of London. 80,000 people were left homeless. Property that would be worth billions now wwas reduced to rubble. Experience the whole thing with an eye-witness: Samuel Pepys, a confidant of King George, and the man who documented the events of this fire in his diary. English actor Kieron Jecchinis will bring Pepys words to life as you walk past the Tower of London and along the mighty river Thames. Hear how residents loaded their belongings into boats and leapt from the roofs of their flaming homes.

Explore this historic neighborhood of London as it was in 1666, and see the great Tower Bridge, and a little hidden gem of a pub built on the site of London's first coffee house. Discover in Pepys' own words how the people of London reacted to the fire, and how he tried to warn the Mayor and the King. He'll even tell you about the personal items he chose to save. And see how London rebuilt itself after the fire.

Tips & Hours

• The ideal time to start this tour is between 10:00am- 5:00pm on weekdays.
• The tour is lovely on weekends, but it’s possible one of the stops may be closed.
• You're in London so bring a brolly and waterproof shoes just in case, and wrap up if it's winter!
• Oh yes, and we're going back to 1666, so don't forget your imagination!

Credits

Narrator

Kieron Jecchinis

Producer

Michael Harris

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Sound Design supervisor

Julian Kwasneski 

Music Supervisor 

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Matthew Strasser 

Cameron Taylor

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Explore Caribbean heritage in Brixton, black Britain's spiritual home, from its hopeful start, to the riots of the 80s.

Starting Location

Windrush Square

Duration

45 minutes

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Description

On a misty morning in 1948, the Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, carrying 492 passengers from Jamaica. This unremarkable ship was about to change the course of UK history. Its arrival marked the start of the biggest wave of non-white immigration ever to this country, and the birth of a new Afro-Caribbean community in Brixton.

Local Britonian Christopher Icha has been living in Brixton since the 1960s and he'll show you his neighborhood and its hidden gems. Take a stroll through the famous markets of Brixton, where that newly arrived 'Windrush Generation' came to stock up on Caribbean food from back home: yams, green pumpkins, yellow snapper. Visit 'Frontline' where Christopher spent his teenage years, listening to live reggae and witnessing tensions between locals and police as they reached a fever pitch - leading ot the notorious Brixton Uprising of 1981.

Along the way, listen out for the reggae music that's ever-present on the streets of Brixton and visit the famous Electric Avenue, the inspiration for the hit song. You'll have a chance to refelect on Brixton's changing fortunes and what this neighborhood means to the people who call it home.

Tips & Hours

• The ideal time to take this Detour is 10:00am- 4:00pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
• You can take the tour on Monday, but some of the market stalls will not be open.
• Pure Vinyl, where we stop to listen to some bluebeat music, is closed on Wednesdays.

Credits

Narrator

Christopher Icha

Producer

Olivia Humphreys

Series Producer

Laurie Harris

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Sound Design

Connor Stock

Music Direction

Mikael Sandgren

Music Clearance

Elizabeth Pepin Silva

Featured Voices

Christopher Icha 

Dorothea Smartt

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Sam Gordon

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Crawl through the historic dive bars of Wicker Park and meet the people who have loved and lost in these dimly lit spaces.

Starting Location

1201 N Ashland Ave

Duration

1 hour, 15 minutes

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Description

Wicker Park is a neighborhood filled with stories - and there is no better place ot discover them than the historic bars and taverns that have been backdrops for so many.

In the 1940s, Simone de Beauvoir, a French philosopher, came to Wicker Park to visit novelist, Nelson Algren. Algren took her on a tour of the neighborhood and its bars so she could see the "real Chicago" where working class folks, card sharks, and hustlers shared stories and drinks. Nelson and Simone fell in love in Wicker Park, but theirs isn't the only love story to be found here. There are stories of love for community, for a cause, for music, and for the bartenders who serve up drinks in good time...and bad.

Join Liz Mason, manager of Wicker Park institution Quimby's Bookstore, on a journey that explores them all - and wash them down with a few drinks along the way.

You'll walk the streets the Polish American community called home in the 40's and 50's. You'll dip into a tavern where they rented apartments upstairs by the hour, and a beer garden where German immigrants could bring the whole family. You'll visit a community garden named after a drug addict and hear from writers and musicians and locals with tales of their own. And by the time you order your last drink, you'll know why Simone fell in love with this place, and the man who showed it to her.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best between 4pm - Midnight.
• On this Detour you'll stop at 5 of Wicker Park's best bars where you can have a drink while listening to additional content or take your earbuds out and chat with friends or locals. Plan to spend between 80 mins and 2 hours, depending on how much time you'd like to spend lingering in each bar.
• Bring cash- all bars are cash only, and make sure to have your ID on you as most bars will card anyone who looks under the age of 65.
• Both CVS and Rite Liquors have ATMs if you need to get cash along the way.

Credits

Narrator: Liz Mason

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producer : Stephanie Jenz

Advising Producer: Avi Glijansky

Writer: Paul Durica

Associate Producer: Sara Medlin

Production Assistant: Casey Hudetz

Sound Design: Julian Kwasneski, Connor Stock

Music Direction: Julian Kwasneski, Connor Stock

Featured Music: Whoopsie Daisy - The Coctails Working Holiday - The Coctails

Featured Voices: Mary Wiesnewski Steve Albini Kathy Moseley Bill Savage Paul Durica Tim Kinsella

Image Credits

Cover photo: Natalie O'Donnell 

Additional Photography: Danielle Scruggs 

Navigation photos: Sara Medlin Quotes from "The Man with the Golden Arm" Copyright, 1949 by Nelson Algren, used with permission

Special Thanks

Mark Greenberg Mary Wiesnewski Neil Olson, Donadio & Olson, Inc. Bill Savage Tim Kinsella Steve Albini The Staff and Patrons of Rite Liquors, Gold Star, Phyllis' Musical Inn, The Happy Village, and The Rainbo

Locations of All Detours

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Discover the historical struggle between Chicago and the river that helped shape it.

Starting Location

N Michigan Ave. Bridge

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

The grand Chicago River winds through the Windy City creating some of the most beautiful urban vistas in America. But it hasn't always been such a pretty picture.

From the late 1800s until only about ten years ago, the river was used, abused, and practically ignored by the city. At its worst, the muck in the water was so bad that sections of the river actually caught fire. And yet, there would be no Chicago without this river. The Chicago River helped build this city even as the city almost destroyed it.

Join canoe guide, and Friends of the Chicago River staffer, Claire Synder on a journey through the river's history - from its early days of industrialization to the picturesque body of water it is today. You'll hear about the dark days when the water was filled with rats and garbage, and how the city tried to solve the problem of sewage with one of the greatest engineering feats of all time. You'll walk over and under Chicago's iconic bridges and travel back to the very beginning of the city. You'll meet a seasoned bridge tender and a longtime riverboat captain. You'll visit one of the city's oldest dive bars and a special city built right on the water's edge. You'll stroll along the beautiful banks and learn why the symbiotic relationship between Chicago and its river is so vital — and why it's so important that the city never turn it's back on the river again.

Tips & Hours

• Download this Detour on wifi at a coffee shop or home base before heading to the start point -- download times are notoriously slow on the bridge.
• This Detour goes up and down a fair number of steps. Wear your walking shoes!
• This Detour is great any time, but the pre-dusk hours can be especially beautiful with sunset light flittering off all of the buildings.
• Riverwalk’s high traffic season is May through October. Be ready for crowds!

Credits

Narrator

Claire Snyder

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer 

Stephanie Jenz

Producer

Meribah Knight

Advising Producer

Avi Glijansky

Editors

Lynn Levy Jorge Just

Associate Producer

Rachel Dickson

Production Assistant

Casey Hudetz

Sound Design

NoiseFloor

Music Direction

NoiseFloor 

Devin Delaney 

Stosh Tuszynski

Featured Voices

Bob Borgstrom 

Garabed Damarjian 

Claire Cahan

Image Credits

• Cover photo, Danielle Scruggs 

• Navigation photos, Meribah Knight & Sara Medlin

Special Thanks

Joanne Dill McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum Garabed Damarjian Chicago Department of Transportation Claire Cahan, Studio Gang Brian Muir, Alto Realty Sam Sianis The Billy Goat Tavern Michael Borgstrom, Wendella Boats

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Join Tribune reporter Rick Kogan in Old Town and discover its Great Good Places and the rebellious artists who thrived there.

Starting Location

1711 N Cleveland Ave

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

Carouse your way through 1960s Old Town and learn how artists, folkies, comedians, writers, and hippies turned convention on its head by creating and inhabiting some of the country's most revered and forgotten "Great Good Places."

A "Great Good Place" isn't the place people live, or work, it's a third place where they can be themselves, blow off steam, and have the freedom to experiment and create. German immigrants fleeing the political crackdowns of the 1840s, artists of the 1920s expressing their vision for a new way of life, and the full-on countercultural explosion of the beatniks, performers, and radicals who would have a lasting impact on the world, Old Town has been home to them all and provided the spaces they needed to thrive.

Join Chicago Tribune reporter, and Old Town native, Rick Kogan on a trip through this neighborhood that called to anyone yearning to color outside the lines. Along the way, you'll discover a magnificent church that welcomes everyone, the homes, bars, and stages where artists created magical things, and even get a taste of what it's like to be a member of the world-famous improv comedy troupe The Second City.

And as you do, you'll come to understand why this whole neighborhood was one of Chicago's Great Good Places, what's been lost as some of it's most iconic sites have vanished, and why it's worth fighting to hold onto what's left.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, but is best taken Friday through Sunday between 11am - 6pm when tour locations are open the longest.
• Monday through Thursday we recommend taking this tour between 2pm - 5pm to ensure all businesses and St. Michael’s are open.
• All of the stops, with the exception of St. Michaels, are open until at least 9pm. If you want to grab a drink at The Old Town Ale House at the end, it’s best to start the walk after 2pm Monday - Friday and after 11:30am on Sundays.
• St. Michael’s is an active church, so if you’re taking this tour on a weekend be aware it may be in use for a wedding or other church service when you stop by.
• Be prepared to eat and drink on this tour! This walk stops at three different taverns, two of which have fantastic food you can order.
• Bring some cash for drinks and food along the way.

Credits

Narrator:Rick Kogan

Head of Content:Heather Schuster

Executive Producer:Stephanie Jenz

Producer:Kayla McCormick

Advising Producer:Avi Glijansky

Associate Producer:Maya Dukmasova, Rachel Dickson

Production Assistant:Casey Hudetz

Sound Design:Noise Floor, Devin Delaney, Stosh Tuszynski

Music Direction:Devin Delaney, Stosh Tuszynski 

Featured Voices:Rich Taura, Lisa Vakulin-Rose, Shirley Baugher, Bonnie Koloc, Will Aldis, Marc DeCarlo, Bruce Elliott

Image Credits

Navigation photos: Kayla McCormick 

Additional photos courtesy of: The Library of Congress Old Town Triangle Association Saint Michael’s Church

Special Thanks: Ray Oldenburg, Author of "The Great Good Place " Bonnie Koloc Jana Liles, Second City Mark DeCarlo Shirley Baugher Abe Peck Mimi Harris

Locations of All Detours

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Radio host Richard Steele reveals the epic battle between Chicago's most powerful moguls to control the city's famous lakefront.

Starting Location

Northwest corner of Monroe Street and Columbus Drive

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Duration

60 minutes

Description

Grant Park is more than 300 acres of prime real estate along Lake Michigan. And every inch of it belongs to the people. That’s why we call it Chicago’s Front Yard. But it’s been a 150-year battle to keep it that way. On this Detour, beloved Chicago radio host Rich Steele describes the ongoing historical battle over what type of park best serves a world-class city like Chicago. And it’s all about money and politics and how things get done.

You’ll pay a visit to one of the oldest private clubs for wheelers and dealers. You’ll walk through gardens meant to echo Versailles, and see one of the biggest fountains in the world. You’ll even travel back in time to the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots and hear about a more recent election night that was historic too. And, you’re going to get a pretty good picture of how Chicago grew up along the way.

By the end of this Detour, you'll see how the fight to keep the lakefront “forever open, clear, and free” is a quintessential Chicago story about the city’s image - from being “hog butcher to the world” to becoming a world-class playground. After this walk you’ll see why open space is crucial for community, and why people fight for it with everything they’ve got.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day.
• This Detour is best between 7am and 10pm when all of the businesses along the route are open.
• If you want to end with a major water display, take the tour May through September and start the tour between 8am and 9pm on the hour. If you want to end with the Buckingham Fountain light show, start the Detour an hour before dusk, May through September.
• Avoid taking the tour during big festivals when the park is exceptionally loud and crowded. The only time you truly cannot take the tour, is during the four-day Lollapalooza music festival every July because the path is closed. Check the City of Chicago website for complete festival schedules.

Credits

Narrator: Richard Steele

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producer: Stephanie Jenz

Advising Producers: Luisa Beck Jorge Just

Producers: Rachel Dickson, Bill Healy

Writers: Rachel Dickson, Bill Healy

Editor: Marianne McCune

Sound Design: Julian Kwasneski

Associate Producer: Sara Medlin

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Danielle Scruggs
• Navigation photos: Sara Medlin
• Archival Images: Chicago History Museum
• Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections

Special Thanks: Bill Ayers Julia Bachrach Dennis Cremin Anne Ford Kenan Heise Tony Macaluso Mary Morisette Bob O’Neill Tim Samuelson

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Explore hidden gems and hear untold stories of how Chicago's dreamers and idealists shaped the city with Cultural Historian Tim Samuelson.

Starting Location

19 S Wabash, under the Iwan Riese Tobacco awning

Duration

1 hour, 10 minutes

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Description

Tim Samuelson is not your typical historian. For Tim, history is not confined by facts and names -- it is felt, deeply and emotionally, engaging all your senses. Through Tim’s eyes, buildings are living artifacts, each one inviting you to step into the past and see the city around you in a whole new way. On this downtown Detour, Tim takes you deep into the world of the outsiders, idealists, and dreamers who built Chicago quite literally from the ground up.

Along the way, you’ll climb the soaring stairs of a palace of light and experience the ghost of the lonely, bookish man who designed every last detail. You’ll stroll through the film noir alley that inspired the city’s most famous poet. You’ll be dwarfed by a brick behemoth that was once the world’s largest office building and hear how a visionary lovingly restored the first floor into an authentic 1890’s shopping arcade. You will touch details, explore hidden corners, and hear virtually unknown stories about people who have been all but forgotten - except for their legacies that live on in these amazing buildings.

Tips & Hours

• Be ready for some strong brew by the end of this tour; we end at a coffee shop in what is believed to be the oldest (and tiniest) structure still standing in the Loop.
• This Detour is best begun at 10am and no later than 4:30pm, when stops along the way are guaranteed to be open.

Credits

Narrator

Tim Samuelson

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stephanie Jenz

Advising Producer

Jorge Just, Luisa Beck

Producer

Steven Jackson

Writer

Tim Samuelson

Associate Producer

Sara Medlin

Sound Design

Stosh Tuszynski, Noise Floor LTD

Music Direction

Devin Delaney, Noise Floor LTD

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Danielle Scruggs
• Navigation photos: Sara Medlin

Special Thanks

Tim Samuelson

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Uncover the secret clues to Chicago's past, present and future with Chicago Architecture Foundation's Jen Masengarb.

Starting Location

View Google Map of Starting Location

1 S Dearborn St

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Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

Description

The Chicago Architecture Foundation's Jen Masengarb takes you on a hunt for clues through Chicago's bustling loop to learn how to listen to architecture and the conversations buildings are having with each other - and with us.

Along the way, you'll see how one group of Architects slyly directs you to their front door. You'll shake hands with a building and immerse yourself in a huge piece of art that's had everyone talking for more than fifty years. You'll step into a building erected more than 100 years ago that tells a story of Chicago's very beginning, and discover one architect's vision where everything lines up in perfect harmony. You'll hear how people are still puzzling over one of the most famous sculptures in all of Chicago, and step into the future at one of Chicago's most controversial buildings.

By the end, you'll understand why architecture is more than just a conglomeration of buildings - it is the very building blocks we can use to construct a vision of who we were, who we are now, and where we are going tomorrow.

This Detour was produced in collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF). CAF is a nonprofit cultural organization with tours, exhibitions, programs and events for all ages. CAF's mission is to inspire people to discover why design matters. Learn more at architecture.org

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best between 9am-7pm Monday-Thursday; 9am-3:30 pm Friday and Saturday; and 12:00pm-3:30pm Sunday when all of the businesses along the route are open.
• If you want to visit the final stop, the Harold Washington Library, be sure to start the walk by 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday, 3:00 pm Friday and Saturday and 3:30 pm Sunday.

Credits

Narrator

Jen Masengarb

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stephanie Jenz

Producing Partner

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Producer

Katie Klocksin

Advising Producer

Avi Glijansky

Associate Producer

Sara Medlin

Production Assistant

Casey Hudetz

Sound Design

Julian Kwasneski

Connor Stock

Music Direction

Julian Kwasneski

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Natalie O'Donnell 

• Navigation photos: Sara Medlin

Special Thanks

The Docents of the Chicago Architecture Foundation 

Michael Malek 

Richard Cahan

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Walk through Bronzeville with Jazz performer Maggie Brown and explore the neighborhood’s golden age and unexpected decline.

Starting Location

4633 S Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr

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Duration

55 minutes

Description

Over the years Bronzeville has been called a lot of things: the Black Metropolis, the Black Belt, a city within a city; but jazz singer Maggie Brown calls it home. Her grandfather helped build the community in the darkest days of segregation, and since then it's nurtured four generations of her family.

When segregation kept African Americans from living almost anywhere else in Chicago, people like Maggie's grandfather worked to create a place where the black community could not only survive, but also flourish. And soon Bronzeville was a dynamic neighborhood where black-owned business, activists, and artists that influenced the whole country, thrived.

Let Maggie take you back in time to the age of Dizzy, Louis, Mahalia and Muddy. You'll walk past beautiful mansions where the working class and the weld side-by-side, visit a church where Dr. Martin uther King Jr. spoke, and drop into a hip new restaurant that's becoming a community gathering spot. You'll learn how this vibrant community blossomed and thrived in the 30s and 40s, fell in the 60s and 70s, and why residents today think it's on the rise again.

You don't know Chicago until you've taken a stroll through Bronzeville.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime but is best between 9am - 4pm Monday through Thursday, 9am-5:30 pm Friday, and 9am - 12:30 pm on Saturday when all of the businesses along the route are open.
• If you want to eat at Peach’s at the end of the Detour, be sure to start the walk before 2pm.

Credits

Narrator

Maggie Brown

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stephanie Jenz

Producer Donna Wilson

Editors

Marianne McCune 

Avi Glijansky

Consulting Producer

Rachel Dickson

Associate Producer

Sara Medlin

Production Assistant

Casey Hudetz

Sound Design

Noise Floor Stosh Tuszynski Devin Delaney

Music Direction

Noise Floor Stosh Tuszynski Devin Delaney

Featured Music

“A Great Migration” Written and Performed by Maggie Brown Courtesy of Magnolia Warbler Music “Long as You’re Living” Written by Oscar Brown Jr. Performed by Maggie Brown Courtesy of Bootblack Publishing, LLC “Rags ‘n Old Iron” Written by Oscar Brown Jr. Performed by Maggie Brown Courtesy of Bootblack Publishing, LLC

Featured Voices

Jeanette Simpson 

Cliff Roam 

Quote from “By a Thread” Written by Oscar Brown Sr, Courtesy of Maggie Brown

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Danielle Scruggs 

• Navigation Photos: Sara Medlin 

• WPA photographers: Russell Lee, Edwin Rosskam

Special Thanks

Todd Wood 

Lamar Burris 

Cliff Roam 

Jeanette Simpson 

Harold Lucas 

Natalie Moor

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Retrace the footsteps of the men who led the secession movement in Charleston and find out how it and the Civil War began.

Starting Location

18 Tradd St

Duration

1 hour

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Description

When many Americans learn about the Civil War, they're told "The South seceded from the Union." But that's not entirely true. IT was South Carolina that seceded first. And it was Charleston itself that led the charge for South Carolina and the other Southern states that would follow suit.

What were the key events that lead to secession? And how did this picturesque city become the very "tip of the spear" for the secession movement in The South.

Professor Ed Ayers, has spent a great deal of his life studying the Civil War and searching for its causes. Join him on a journey to retrace the footsteps of the men who led the secession movement in Charleston. It's a part of the Civil War many people don't know — the story of what led a city to make the radical decision to secede from the very nation they had helped found.

Between iconic stops and views of beautiful historic homes and buildings, Ed will reveal the stories and individuals that spurred the secession movement. You'll stand on a street where men who helped found our nation in the Revolutionary War and men who would secede from those United States both congregated. You will hear the story of the chaotic and wild 1860 Democratic Convention that finally tipped the scales towards war. You'll discover the house where a British spy sent coded messages back to his homeland to warn them of the South's intentions. And, you'll stroll along Charleston's incredible harbor — the site of Fort Sumter and the battle that officially launched the American Civil War.

And as we understand more about the complicated and fraught times back then, perhaps we'll learn a bit more about our own political times today.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day, but is best when started between 9am - 3pm Monday through Thursday to catch all the stops along the route while they’re open.
• Charleston City Hall Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm (CLOSED during lunch 12 - 1pm). CLOSED on the weekends.
• St. Michael’s Church Hours: Monday- Thursday 9:00 am-4:30 pm, Friday 9:00 am-3:00 pm Saturday 9:00-Noon (except during church functions).
• With the stops included, this tour lasts approximately 1:00 to 1:30.
• Charleston’s summer weather is very hot and humid -- so it’s always good to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. (If you don’t, there are food and drink vendors and establishments along the route.)

Credits

Narrator

Ed Ayers

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producer

Dominique Ferrari

Associate Producer

Christopher Hanson 

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski 

Music Supervisor 

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

• Matthew Strasser 

• Andy Jung

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Geno DiMaria 

• Navigation Photos: Christopher Hanson

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A former marijuana smuggler tells us the story of Charleston's other most notorious outlaws — the pirates.

Starting Location

1 Vendue LN

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

Barry Foy is a Charlestonian who knows a little something about being a maritime outlaw. In the 70's and early 80's, he and his friends smuggled a billion dollars worth of marijuana into the United States on sailboats — much of it into the shoreline near Charleston. The Feds that were chasing them called them "The Gentlemen Smugglers" and eventually put together the largest task force in South Carolina history to catch them: Operation Jackpot. Barry is one of the few people around who can actually tell us first-hand what it feels like to be running from the law on the high seas. And so who better to tell us about Chalreston's most famous outlaws — the pirates?

During the Golden Age of Piracy, Charleston was one of the largest hubs for pirate activity on the East Coast. Some of the most famous pirates of all time called Charleston home, plundered ships outside its harbor, and spent their hard-stolen money in its taverns and brothels. But in 1718, two pirates — Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet — took the whole city hostage and sparked Charleston to launch an all out war on piracy. On this journey, you'll learn about their story — and the story of the Gentlemen Smugglers — as you walk the beautiful streets of Downtown Historic Charleston.

You'll stroll around Charleston's beautiful, world-class harbor and find out what attracted so many pirates to the Holy City in the first place. You'll see the taverns and brothels they frequented and learn from a local expert which of the stereotypes we believe about these infamous rebels are fact and which are fiction. You'll meet the author who wrote the best-selling book on Barry and his smuggling compatriots and learn how the Feds finally caught up with them. And you'll do it with a modern day renegade leading the way.

This is the real story of the two of Charleston's most colorful, and infamous, groups of outlaws — the pirates and the Gentlemen Smugglers!

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day, but is best started between 10am - 3pm Mon through Sat.
• Mon through Sat, The Tavern is open 10am - 7pm and the Powder Magazine is open 10am - 4pm. On Sun, the Tavern is closed and The Powder Magazine’s hours of operation are shortened to 1pm - 4pm.
• There are stops where you may wish to purchase items: The Tavern, The Powder Magazine, and 82 Queen.
• Occasionally on Sat, the Tavern will hold impromptu spirits tastings. So if you’re over 21 years old, make sure to bring ID and see if you can catch one of them!
• Charleston’s summer weather is very hot and humid -- wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. (If you don’t there are food and drink vendors and establishments along the route.)

Credits

Narrator: Barry Foy

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producer: Avi Glijansky

Producer: Dominique Ferrari

Associate Producer: Christopher Hanson Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor: Julian Kwasneski Music Supervisor Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound: Matthew Strasser, Andy Jung

Featured Voices:Jason Ryan Michael Coker

Cover Photo: Geno DiMaria 

Navigation Photos: Christopher Hanson

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The story of culinary hero Nat Fuller - an enslaved chef who hosted a "Reconciliation Feast" at the end of the Civil War.

Starting Location

102 Church St

Duration

1 hour

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Description

Local chef Kevin Mitchell takes you on a walk to recount the incredible story of one of Charleston's most important, but nearly forgotten, chefs — Nat fuller. In 1865, Nat was the greatest chef and restaurateur in all of Charleston. And he was also a slave. And as slavery ended, Nat hosted the first racially integrated meal in the city's history. He called it the Reconciliation Feast and his goal was to bring Charleston together to break bread and forge a new, more peaceful path. But how did a slave end up becoming Charleston's top restaurant owner and what was the impact of his feast?

Chef Kevin Mitchell is one of the men who, along with Professor David Shields, literally wrote the book on Nat Fuller — Nat fuller: From Slavery to Artistry — and was the head chef who helped revive Nat Fuller's amazing feast in Charleston. On this walk, Chef Mitchell will take you to some of the most pivotal stops in Nat Fuller's amazing life and tell you the story of this remarkable man as well as the story of reviving Nat's powerful feasts today.

You will see the place where Nat Fuller was bought and sold as a young boy and discover some of the hidden marks left all around Charleston by the enslaved people who helped build the city. You'll visit the vibrant city market where Nat bought the incredible ingredients he used to wow his dinner patrons. You'll see the building where the most important meal of the 19th century in Charleston, the Reconciliation Feast, was held as well as the restaurant that hosted the 150th anniversary revival of Nat's feast. And along the way, you'll even get a chance to taste a few delicious bites of Nat's story for yourself.

So come hungry, and let's break bread!

Tips & Hours

• Ideal times to take this tour are: Mon and Tue after 4pm; Wed - Sat between 10:30 and 12:30pm or after 4pm.
• This Detour has several stops where you may wish to purchase food: Normandy Farm Bakery, O-Bar Oyster House, Henry’s, and McCrady’s Tavern -- so bring your wallet and come hungry!
• Because Charleston is a top food destination - many of its restaurants are very busy - especially during the spring and summer months! So if you have a little wait, please be patient or if you don’t care to wait, you can always listen to the content outside and then move on.
• McCrady’s, our last stop, is a fantastic, world-class restaurant and so it can often be very busy. If you’re able to, call ahead for a reservation.

Credits

Narrator: Kevin Mitchell

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producers: Stacey Book, Avi Glijansky

Producer: Dominique Ferrari

Associate Producer: Christopher Hanson, Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor: Julian Kwasneski 

Music Supervisor: Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound: Matthew Strasser, Meihui Qiao

Featured Voices: Professor David Shields Chef Benjamin Dennis Joseph McGill

Cover Photo: Geno DiMaria 

Navigation Photos: Christopher Hanson

Special Thanks: Josetta and Edna Taylor @ Edna’s Lowcountry in Charleston’s City Market

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Discover the incredible stories of the African-American women who led the fight against slavery.

Starting Location

60 S Russell St

Duration

50 minutes

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Description

In the 1800s, Beacon Hill was a bastion of anti-slavery activism and home to a thriving community of African Americans. The often unsung heroes of the abolitionist movement were the African-American women who lived here. In a time when women, black or white, were expected to be seen and not heard, these women rose up, spoke out, and fought for the freedom of their people. They were some of the fiercest fighters in the abolitionist movement and some of this nation's earliest feminists.

Reverend Irene Monroe, an African-American lesbian feminist activist minister, will share their stories. Along the way, you'll visit the oldest African American church in America, make a few stops on the Underground Railroad, and walk through hidden passageways that led self-emancipated people to safety.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime during daylight hours, any day of the week.
• Wear your walking shoes. This Detour has some hills!
• If it’s a hot day, bring a water bottle.
• This Detour begins and ends within walking distance from both the Charles/MGH Station and the Park Street Station.

Credits

Narrator

Irene Monroe

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Annie Sinsabaugh 

JR Black

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski Music Supervisor Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Kyle Randall 

Brian Heater

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Rachel Globe 

• Navigation photos: Annie Sinsabaugh

Special Thanks

Museum of African American History

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Crime novelist Matthew Pearl explores the murder that rocked this neighborhood and Boston's victorian elite.

Starting Location

1 Walnut St

Duration

55 minutes

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Description

Boston's Brahmins were the elite, educated, upper-class who put Boston on the map and it is difficult to understand Boston without understanding the Brahmins.

So when a fellow Brahmin was murdered in 1849 by one of their own, it exposed the competing ideologies beneath their blue blood surface. And it thrust this reserved Beacon Hill community into the national spotlight.

Walk these picturesque streets with Matthew Pearl, well-known author of historical thrillers in Boston, as he shares this murder mystery with you and explains what it tells us about Brahmin culture. Along the way, you will see one of the city's most notorious prisons, and visit the scene of the crime. And you'll discover why this case captured the imaginations of Victorian writers like Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe. And understand why it continues to enthrall writers like Matthew to this day.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, but is best on weekdays between 8:30 am - 4 pm so you arrive at the Museum of Medical History and Innovation when it is open. If you’re taking the tour on a Saturday or Sunday, don’t worry, you can still hear the whole story and see pictures from the inside of the museum.
• The Museum of Medical History and Innovation is open Monday – Friday, 9 am - 5 pm year-round, and Saturday, 11 am - 5 pm April 16th through October 15th.
• The Museum of Medical History and Innovation is community supported. Bring some cash if you’d like to leave a small donation to support them.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Beacon Hill lives up to its name and can be a bit hilly. This route also includes some cobblestone streets.

Credits

Narrator

Matthew Pearl

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Lizzie Short JR Black

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski Music Supervisor Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

• Costas Dafnis 

• Matthew Strasser

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Rachel Globe 

• Navigation Photos: Lizzie Short

Special Thanks

Paul S. Russell, MD, Museum of Medical History and Innovation

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Celebrate the Founding Fathers by raising a glass or two in the historic pubs and taverns where the revolution was planned.

Starting Location

1 Fanneuil Hall Square

Duration

55 minutes

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Description

Boston is the birthplace of the American Revolution, and Faneuil Hall is known as the cradle of liberty because it's where the Founding Fathers rallied colonists to fight for independence.

Except that's not the only place the revolution was planned. Most people picture the Founding Fathers as men in powdered wigs giving speeches in fancy rooms, but often those "fancy rooms" were taverns, and the speeches were washed down with a pint...or two.

So how exactly did bars and alcohol help pave the way for American Independence?

That's a story not often told on the Freedom Trail, but it's exactly the one that Comedienne, Revolutionary War history buff, and cocktail aficionado Jenny Zigrino is going to share with you.

You'll follow the path of Paul Revere's midnight ride, toast in the bar where the Boston Ea Party was planned, try a modern version of the Founding Father's favorite drink - Fish House Punch - and meet a relatively unsung hero fo the American Revolution who could have been our first president.

So join Jenny, Paul Revere, and Sam Adams on the ultimate Patriotic Pub Crawl. By the time you're done you'll be toasting 'To the Revolution' also!

Tips & Hours

• The ideal starting time for this Detour is between 12pm and 4pm, on any day of the week. Faneuil Hall closes at 4pm, and the Old North Church closes at 5pm. All bars on the tour are open after 11am and don’t close until after midnight.
• You’ll be stopping at 3 bars along this Detour, with an option to add a 4th in nearby Charlestown. Remember to pace yourself, and if you get hungry, all bars have full menus as well.
• All bars take credit or cash.
• This Detour does not go inside the Old North Church but it is open to visitors. If you’d like go inside, consider bringing some cash as there’s an optional donation when entering.
• This Detour ends with an option to travel the short distance by car to historic Warren Tavern in nearby Charlestown. If you don’t already have a Ride-Share app on your phone, you may want to download one before starting the Detour.

Credits

Narrator

Jenny Zigrino

Head of Content 

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

JR Black Tessa Khalaieff Associate Producer Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Kyle Randall 

Dylan Peck

Additional Voices

JR Black Rob Crean Gary Petersen

Featured Music

A Ballad of Liberty and Laws Lyrics: Anonymous Arranged and Performed by: JR Black

Local shop-owner Bobby Eustace takes you on a walk through the Italian traditions, stores, and food of the North End.

Starting Location

266 Hanover St

Duration

45 minutes

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Description

The North End of Boston is home to all kinds of multi-generational shops and restaurants that celebrate Italian heritage and culture in Boston. Twenty-six different Italian regions are represented within less than a square mile. But for 120 years, all these North Enders have shared Italian traditions and familial ties, which makes this neighborhood so much more than just another "Little Italy."

Bobby Eustace wasn't born into a multi-generational North End Italian family so acceptance into the neighborhood wasn't always easy. But his loyal boss who was also a father figure treated Bobby like family and left him his shop. And now, as the owner of Polcari's Coffee, Bobby proudly keeps the traditions - and the food - of the North End alive.

Walk through the North End with Bobby and meet some of his friends who also run multi-generational shops here. Along the way, you'll taste different regional cuisines, discover a panaterria down a hidden alley, and learn about the iconic Italian feasts still celebrated here today.

And best of all, Bobby will take you for his favorite cannoli on Hanover Street.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best taken Monday-Saturday when all the stops on on the route are open.
• Many of the shops on our way are cash only, so be sure to stop by an ATM before starting,

Credits

Narrator

Bobby Eustace

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Kathryn Farrelly JR Black

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

Kyle Randall 

Markus Zacharia

Featured Voices

Albie Alba Franko Susi

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Rachel Globe 

• Navigation Photos: Kathryn Farrelly, JR Black

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Jennifer J. Roberts and ex-gangster Pat Nee take you to their 'hood' for a surprising story of growing up Black in Southie.

Starting Location

2 Farragut Rd

Duration

55 minutes

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Description

Southie-it's got a bit of a reputation. Gangsters, busing desgregation; but most of all, the type of close knit Irish community that gave rise to it all.

Although her family came here from Ireland in the 1800's, Jennifer J. Roberts looked different from almost everyone in this neighborhood. Though she never knew him, her grandfather was black.

In this Detour, Jennifer will show you Southie as only someone who knows it as both an insider and outsider can. She'll take you to a diner that's as quintessential Southie as it gets, and introduce you to the surrogate father who took her under his wing - the notorious criminal Irishman, Pat Nee.

As she shows you the most poignant places of her youth, where navigating identity in the racially charged era of the Boston Busing Crisis was a constant, you'll see how friends, enemies, and unlikely allies can be as much of a home as any house with a roof...Because people in Southie may seem a little rough around the edges, but they're always willing to lend a hand if you get into any trouble.

And by the end of the journey, you'll come to see that like Jennifer herself, South Boston isn't just one thing.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken any day of the week at any time, but is best when started no later than 12pm so that you can visit the Galley Diner.
• The Galley Diner closes at 2pm, so make sure you start the tour at least one hour before if you’d like to grab coffee or some hash there. Of course you can always hear the story outside if you’re there after hours.

Credits

Narrators

Jennifer J. Roberts 

Pat Nee

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producers

Stacey Book 

Avi Glijansky

Producers

JR Black 

Tessa Khalaieff

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren 

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound 

Dylan Peck 

Colin Andrew Grant

Featured Voices

Paul Skudris

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Rachel Globe 

• Navigation photos: JR Black Special Thanks Jennifer Roberts Pat Nee Paul Skudris The Galley Diner Francis L. Murphy Skating Rink

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Discover D.C.'s signature sound, Go-Go, a beat that helped the U-Street Corridor overcome the devastation of the '68 riots.

Starting Location

1425 V St NW

Duration

1 hour

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Description

Can music actually heal a city? Outside of D.C. few people even know the musical genre named "Go-Go," but in the nation's capitol this style of music is known as the heartbeat of DC. Like the Dixieland Jazz of New Orleans, Go-Go is a regional music that calls DC its home. And according to many, Go-Go is what brought the U-Street corridor back to life after it was nearly abandoned in the wake of the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in 1968.

Beginning in the 70s with the Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown, Go-Go brought the people of U-Street together to dance, build community, & find positive ways to organize around the issues of the day. And even though the music was seen as controversial - & even threatening - by authorities, it's positive legacy can still be felt.

Kevin "Kato" Hammond knows the story of Go-Go as well as anyone can. First as a fan, then as a member of one of its top acts, Little Benny & the Masters, & more recently as one of the its leading historians. Kato doesn't just credit Go-Go with helping to save U-Street - he credits it with saving him.

Join Kato on a tour down the area once famously known as Black Broadway. You'll visit the oldest black Catholic church in DC, meet the musicians and discover their music, and even grab a bite at Ben's Chili Bowl - one of D.C.'s most famous restaurants.

You'll learn the causes of the riots that devastated the neighborhood, why Go-go music is credited with helping start its recovery, and how the music is as controversial now as it was when Chuck Brown invented it.

Tips & Hours

• This is Detour is best take Monday-Saturday between 10am and 6pm, and Sunday between 11am and 6pm, when most of the businesses along the route are open.
• St. Augustine’s Chapel is not open on weekends, but you can listen to the content outside.
• The Howard Theater is open from 10am-10pm on show days, and 12pm-7pm on days when they’re dark. You can check the theater’s schedule here.
• Come hungry! This route stops at Ben’s Chili Bowl, one of the best places in D.C. for a great (and very affordable) bite to eat.
• Bring cash if you’d like buy some Go-Go Music. The music store at the end of the route sells all sorts of Go-Go - from the bigger hits to rare live performances - but it’s cash only.

Credits

Narrator: Kevin “Kato” Hammond

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producers: Avi Glijansky , Stacey Book

Producers: Robert Novak, Belinda Eagan

Sound Design Supervisor: Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor: Mikael Sandgren

Music Clearance: Elizabeth Pepin Silva

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound (Dylan Peck, Brendan Stock)

Featured Music

• "Roll Call" & "Body Moves" By Rare Essence Courtesy of Rare One Records

• "Southeast Anthem" & "Here We Go" Performed by DJ Flexx and Dirty Rico Courtesy of Baldhead Productions

• Big City Groove Performed by Ivan Goff

Featured Voices: Charles Stephenson, Andre ‘Whiteboy’ Johnson, Virginia Ali

Image Credits: Matt Fuller, Belinda Eagan

Special Thanks: Becky Marcus & Liaison Records, Take Me Out To The Go-Go Media, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Rare Essence, 9:30 Club, Howard Theater, Lincoln Theater, St. Augustine Church

Walk through the 'wilderness of mirrors' that is spycraft with a spy historian and a retired CIA Intelligence Officer.

Starting Location

1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Duration

1 hour

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Description

Washington D.C. is the seat of national power and for years, its hotels, restaurants, and bars have hosted some of the most powerful men and women in the world. But D.C. is also the espionage capitol of the world. In fact, the FBI currently believes there are more foreign agents operating on American soil than during the Cold War.

What's it like to live in deep cover in the nation's capitol? How are agents recruited, and what would motivate someone to turn against their country?

Join Espionage Historian H. Keith Melton and Former Director of the Office of Technical Service for the CIA Robert Wallace - co-authors of the book Spy Sites of Washington D.C. - on a journey through the history spycraft in D.C. From the stirrings of the Cold War to the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the realities of today, they'll show you how the technology and techniques of Spycraft have evolved -even as the most important weapon in any intelligence service's arsenal has remained its officers and agents.

Along the way, you'll visit restaurants and lounges frequented by those same officers and agents, discover the little-known origin or the Secret Service, see a restaurant booth where nuclear war was averted, and learn to spot potential foreign agents by their license plates.

Spycraft has been called "a wilderness of mirrors." It's time to venture into it see for yourself.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best taken between 12pm-9:30pm any day of the week. Most of the bars/restaurants on this route stay open until at least 11pm each night, but if you want to be able to visit the Occidental Grill & Seafood you should plan to start no later than 8:30 pm since they close at 10:00pm (9:30pm on Sundays)
• This Detour hits 5 bars where you can enjoy a drink, so keep that in mind when ordering. All the stops also have full menus if you’re hungry.
• All the bars/restaurants on this Detour accept credit cards, but it’s never a bad idea to have some cash handy.
• The Occidental’s main dining room is currently under construction, but you’re welcome to check out their upstairs lounge while listening to the story. Explore
• Spy Sites of Washington, DC: A Guide to the Capital Region's Secret History

Credits

Narrators:

H. Keith Melton 

Robert Wallace

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Robert Novak 

Belinda Eagan

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

• Dylan Peck 

• Ross Hendler

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Mike Marrotte 

• Navigation Photos: Belinda Eagan 

• Photo of Ames’ Post-It, Courtesy of H. Keith Melton

Special Thanks

• The staff of Bar Edgar and the Mayflower Hotel

Podcast Episode Contributing Volunteers

Kris L.

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Discover the story of Teddy Roosevelt - the "conservation President" - in a Park that wouldn't exist if it weren't for him.

Starting Location

1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Duration

1 hour

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Description

When many people think of President Theodore Roosevelt, they picture the hard charging leader of the cavalry known as Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. They recall his famous saying about diplomacy; "speak softly, and carry a big stick" And maybe they remember seeing pictures of the 26th president with one of his many hunting trophies - a cheetah or a rhino.

But this legendary huntsman - who tracked and killed beasts from across the globe -was also a dedicated conservationist. In fact, during his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt came to be known as the "Conservation President."

Join Joe Wiegand, a Theodore Roosevelt historian and one of the country's leading Teddy Roosevelt reenactors, as he explores that seeming contradiction while exploring one of D.C.'s best kept secrets - the trails of Theodore Roosevelt Island.

You'll search for D.C's elusive black squirrel, uncover the ruins of a great mansion, learn about the political conspiracy that sought to keep Roosevelt powerless, and discover why, if it weren't for Theodore Roosevelt, this island refuge might not exist at all.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour is best taken between 12pm-9:30pm any day of the week. Most of the bars/restaurants on this route stay open until at least 11pm each night, but if you want to be able to visit the Occidental Grill & Seafood you should plan to start no later than 8:30 pm since they close at 10:00pm (9:30pm on Sundays)
• This Detour hits 5 bars where you can enjoy a drink, so keep that in mind when ordering. All the stops also have full menus if you’re hungry.
• All the bars/restaurants on this Detour accept credit cards, but it’s never a bad idea to have some cash handy.
• The Occidental’s main dining room is currently under construction, but you’re welcome to check out their upstairs lounge while listening to the story. Explore
• Spy Sites of Washington, DC: A Guide to the Capital Region's Secret History

Credits

Narrators:

H. Keith Melton Robert Wallace

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Robert Novak 

Belinda Eagan

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

• Dylan Peck 

• Ross Hendler

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Mike Marrotte 

• Navigation Photos: Belinda Eagan 

• Photo of Ames’ Post-It, Courtesy of H. Keith Melton

Special Thanks

• The staff of Bar Edgar and the Mayflower Hotel

Podcast Episode Contributing Volunteers

Kris L.

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Killing Lincoln was only part of the conspiracy-discover it all through the eyes of Booth's accomplice, George Atzerodt.

Starting Location

H St NW

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

Most people know the story: On April 15th, 1865, shortly after the Civil War ended, the actor John Wilkes Booth stormed into a reserved box at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. and assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Except, that's not the whole story.

The truth was that in April of 1865 the Civil War hadn't fully ended. The Confederate forces had surrendered, but there were still soldiers who hadn't given up the fight. The state of the Union was fragile. The right flashpoint could reignite the war - or even topple the Union Government. And John Wilkes Booth had a plan to do just that, all in one perfectly coordinated minute. Booth wasn't just out to kill Lincoln. His was a conspiracy to cripple the Union government as well. And he wasn't acting alone.

George Atzerodt knows this because he was one of Booth's accomplices. Motivated as much - or more - by money as he was by ideology, Atzerodt plotted with Booth and a small gang to bring down the Union and save the Confederacy. Of course...only some of it went according to plan.

Join George as he takes you back in time to the months and weeks leading up to that fateful night at Ford's Theater. You'll meet the other conspirators and retrace their steps. You'll see the White House and the church where Abraham Lincoln prayed for an end to the civil war. And of course, you'll visit the scene of the crime. Ford's Theater.

John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger, but step back in time and find out how many people were holding the gun.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime on any day of the week but is best before nightfall.
• For a more atmospheric experience, plan to start this Detour in the late afternoon or early evening. Just make sure to start at least an hour before sunset as the alley behind Ford’s Theatre is too dark at night to be seen well.
• This Detour does ends outside the Ford’s Theatre Historic Site, which also includes the Petersen Boarding House. The site is open daily from 9am - 4:30pm. If you’d like to add a visit after your Detour, plan on starting no later than 2pm.

Credits

Narrator

George Atzerodt as played by Robb Padgett

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producers

Stacey Book 

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Robert Novak 

Belinda Eagan

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound

• Dylan Peck 

• Ross Hendler

Image Credits

• Cover Image: Mike Marrotte 

• Archival Images courtesy of the Library of Congress

Special Thanks

The staff and park rangers of the Ford’s Theater Historical Site.

Podcast Episode Contributing Volunteers

Kris L.

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Professor William Steele peels back the layers of Ueno Park and explores the battleground of 1868 Japanese Civil war.

Starting Location

1-60 Uenokoen

Duration

1 hour, 15 minutes

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Description

Ueno Park is one of Japan's most popular city parks, featuring an abundance of cherry blossom trees, stunning shrines, major museums, and a zoo. But most visitors aren't aware that Ueno was destroyed by civil war in 1868 and it became a total wasteland. On this tour, Professor Steele reveals how Shoguns and Samurais battled for control of Tokyo and who the winners and losers of that civil war were. Along the way, you'll learn how to heal pain with incense smoke at a Buddhist temple, get your fortune at a Shinto shrine, and understand Ueno's evolution from a scorched battlefield to the cultural and historical center it is today.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day.
• This detour is best taken between 10am and 3pm, every day of the week. Many temples close at 4:30.
• Please have a few 100 Yen coins.

Credits

Narrators

William Steele

Contributing voices.

Hidenobu Jinnai Voiced by: Cyrus Sethna 

Yu Kishi Voiced by: Bill Sullivan

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Kaori Ikeda 

Reiko Harada

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Editor

Ross Hendler

Sound Design

Matt Strasser

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Humphrey Lena 

• Navigation photos: Kaori Ikeda 

• Archival Images: William Steele, ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Resident Masato Fujimoto tells you how Yanaka's 70 temples set the neighborhood apart from the rest of metropolitan Tokyo.

Starting Location

都道452号都道452号

Duration

1 hour

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Description

Narrator Masato Fujimoto, voiced by Cyrus Sethna, takes you through the town his family has called home for three generations and reveals the beauty and spirituality of this neighborhood. Along the way, you'll visit some of Tokyo's oldest temples, encounter some of Yanaka's famous alleyway cats, and step back in time as you walk through a historic shopping area.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day. 

• This detour is best taken between 10am and 6pm, Wednesday to Sunday. 

• Suzuki Meat Shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

• HAGISO is open from 8:00-10:30 and noon-9pm, every day.

Credits

Narrator

Masato Fujimoto Voiced by: Cyrus Sethna

Contributing Voices

Shoshu Hirai Voiced by: Ryan Drees 

Mr. Suzuki Voiced by: Barry Gjerde 

Mr. Fukushima Voiced by: Bob Werley 

Mr. Kajiwara Voiced by: Bill Sullivan

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Kaori Ikeda

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Editor

Ross Hendler

Sound Design

Markus Zakaria

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Humphrey Lena 

• Navigation photos: Kaori Ikeda 

• Archival Images: Masato Fujimoto

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US-born fine artist Allan West explains why the neighborhood of Yanaka is essential to his artistic and creative journey.

Starting Location

19-1 Nezu 2-Chōme

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

In 1987, US-born artist Allan West intended to visit Japan for a few weeks on a quest for the best paints ever made. But he wound up staying in Japan and has become a traditional Japanese nihonga painter whose work is showcased all over the country in Buddhist temples and kabuki stage sets. Allan will take you through his artistic neighborhood and explain the role it plays in his art. Along the way, you'll explore Yanaka's historic temples, check out the mineral shops where Allan buys his coveted paint supplies, and visit his studio where, if you're lucky, you'll catch him working right in front of you.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day.
• This detour is best taken between noon and 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
• Kinkaido is closed on Sundays and national holidays.
• EXPO is open from 12pm to 8pm, and is closed on Mondays.
• Allan West Gallery is open from 1pm to 5pm.

Credits

Narrators

Allan West

Contributing voices

Keiko Sugita Voiced by: Deirdre Ikeda 

Tsunataka Konoike Voiced by: Cyrus Sentha 

Setsuko Honma Voiced by: Reiko Harada

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Kaori Ikeda

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Editor

Andy Jung

Sound Design

Matt Strasser

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Humphrey Lena 

• Navigation photos: Kaori Ikeda 

• Call out photos: Allan West 

• Archival Images: Allan West

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Explore the colorful area of Nakano with US expat Benjamin Boas, who learned Japanese through comic books and video games.

Starting Location

13 Nakano 4-Chōme

Duration

1 hour, 15 minutes

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Description

When Benjamin Boas got his hands on his father's Nintendo entertainment system at the age of four, he had no idea it would lead him from his home in Connecticut to Japan. But video games quickly sucked him into Japanese culture and ignited his passion to become fluent in Japanese. He went on to author a Japanese manga (comic book) and move to Japan. Walk the streets of Benjamin's Nakano neighborhood. Along the way, you'll check out a bookstore where his manga is sold, try the neighborhood's famous seven-layer swirl cone, and find out how big Nakano's anime subculture is today.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day.
• This detour is best taken between 11am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.
• Most shops in Nakano Broadway are open from 12PM to 8pm
• Kyle’s Good Finds is closed on Sundays.

Credits

Narrators

Benjamin Boas

Contributing Voices

Kyle Sexton 

Chika Aoyagi Voiced by: Reiko Harada 

Mr. Ushiyama Voiced by: Ryan Drees

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Kaori Ikeda

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Editor and Sound Design

Markus Zakaria

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Humphrey Lena 

• Navigation photos: Kaori Ikeda

Starting Locations of All Detours

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Discover how neighbors and fans came together to save America's most iconic ballpark, even before the curse was broken.

Starting Location

530 Commonwealth Ave

Duration

50 minutes

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Description

Fenway Park is neighborhood ballpark, but it was almost torn down in 1999. Since 1912, more than 100 years of baseball history has been written here as Red Sox fans have rooted on their team through the good years and the bad. But in the 1990's there was a push by team ownership to knock down the park. They said it was too old, it was falling apart, it was keeping the team from finally winning a World Series. So how was Fenway Park saved?

A grassroots organization named Save Fenway joined forces with a rookie councilman to protect the park from demolition.

Walk the streets around Fenway with Boston Native, life—long member of the Red Sox Nation, and Fenway Historian, Saul Wisnia. He'll share the story of how Fenway was saved, and why the ballpark is so important to this community.

Along the way, you'll check-out the Green Monster and other elements of the most iconic ballpark in the world. You'll grab a beer in one of the fans' favorite pubs and meet some of the vendors who have been part of the Fenway for generations. And you might even get to taste some of the best ballpark peanuts you've ever had.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, but is most ideal on mornings or afternoons of non-game days. You can check the Red Sox schedule here.
• Please be aware that on game days, much of Yawkey Way is only available to ticket holders, but you’ll still be able to listen to the tour and hear the entire story.
• If you want a game day experience and don’t have tickets, go down to Landsdowne Street after the tour. That is where the Cask n Flagon is located and there are always several food vendors.
• This an easy walk, but the neighborhood can be very busy, especially on game days. Please be aware of your surroundings and keep watch for cars and pedestrians.
• Please be kind to Yankees fans. (optional)

Credits

Narrator

Saul Wisnia

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Avi Glijansky

Producers

Keith Harrington JR Black

Associate Producer

Jasmine McLaurin

Sound Design SupervisorJ

ulian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound 

• Matthew Strasser 

• Markus Zakaria

Featured Voices

Mike Ross 

Richard Johnson 

Bobby D’Angelo 

Randy Dvinski

Image Credits

• Cover Photo: Rachel Globe 

• Navigation Photos: Keith Harrington, JR Black

Special Thanks

Bill Nowlin 

Nicky Jacobs 

Jessamy Finet 

Jack Fultz 

Terry Kitchen 

Gordon Edes 

Gwen & Nate Harrington 

Melissa Waterhouse 

Jason Alpert-Wisnia 

Dave Roberts 

David Ortiz 

Red Sox Nation 

Nana Roni

Starting Locations of All Detours

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The heart of rebellion is always beating in the most exciting part of this city.

Starting Location

9 May-Ayim-Ufer

"The Red Globe" (a big red ball on a pole) on the River Spree, May-Ayim-Ufer 9 near Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn, Kreuzberg

Duration

1 hour 40 minutes

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Description

Amidst the ruins left by World War II, surrounded by River Spree and Berlin Wall, this isolated corner of Kreuzberg was for many young Germans an experimental living room, a testing ground for a different kind of life. Here was hedonism and hard-edged left-wing politics, freedom, protest, escape. Then, in 1989, the wall fell and everything changed - a forgotten district suddenly open.

Following train tracks and migration paths, through squatted streets and parties in the park, longtime Kreuzberg resident and radio producer Lorenz Rollhäuser walks you through the neighbourhood’s past and present, sharing the sights and sounds of Berlin’s proudly ungovernable district. And though the voices of ‘70s revolt sound a little quieter now, it remains a place of life and noise where space is claimed defiantly for the public good.

Kreuzberg will always remain on the city’s rebellious side, despised by some, loved by others. Find out why on a walk which takes in the famous Oberbaumbrücke, the infamous Görlitzer Park, and a legendary May Day celebration that certainly ended with fireworks.

Tips & Hours

• Begin this Detour between noon and sunset any day. Avoid noon-2:00pm on Fridays (when the mosque you’ll visit gets busy for Friday prayer) and Saturdays after 4pm and Sundays (when the bookstore is closed).
• Görlitzer Park is a well-known site for the illegal buying and selling of drugs. It is a perfectly safe place to explore, though we suggest that you avoid going alone at night.
• A toilet is available at the beginning of this walk at Rio Grande restaurant, situated on the level below the “red globe”

Credits

Host & Producer

Lorenz Rollhäuser (http://rollhaeuser.de/) is a writer, radio producer and longtime Kreuzberg resident. His features have been broadcast on national radio and across Europe. When not to be found cycling through his beloved neighbourhood, he’s most likely traveling in Africa and Cuba.

Assistant Producer

Phil Smith (about.me/pmcsmith) is a radio producer and musician from just south of Manchester, England. His DJ mixes and storytelling features appear on BBC radio and NTS Live. He loves cycling through this part of Berlin to meet Lorenz, but takes his sweet time repairing punctures.

Editor

Aaron With

Interviews & Voice Over Artists

Hans Otto’s words are re voiced by Martin Engler. Lisa Simon is played by Veronika Nowag-Jones. Jessica Ebert, Jörn Klare, Katharina Ratonde, Özcan Ayanoglu and Jimmy appear as themselves.

Travel back to Germany's darkest time and uncover secret blueprints for the capital of the world.

Starting Location

Unter den Linden

Duration

1 hour, 20 minutes

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Description

Berlin Mitte (or "center") was the brainchild of Albert Speer, Adolf Hitler's architect and perhaps his only friend. Speer was the mastermind behind Hitler's vision for the "Third Reich" and you can still see his imprint if you know where and how to look.

On this Detour, you'll travel back to Germany's darkest time and uncover Albert Speer's secret plans for nothing less than the capital of the whole world, Germania, right here in the center of Berlin. It was a project the likes of which the world had never seen before; it was an attempt to build a capital city to match the ambitions of its dictator. After the War, Speer claimed that he was innocent of the crimes committed during the Holocaust, and there were many people who believed him. But was it true?

To find out, join Wolfgang Schache, a Professor of architectural history who actually interviewed Albert Speer. Along the way, you'll see the Brandenburg gate, the Reichstag, the Soviet War Memorial, and the Holocaust Memorial. You'll step inside the Academy of Arts building and see the hidden spot where Speer and Hitler held their late night meetings. You'll even look behind the curtain that still hides secrets from this period and decide for yourself whether Albert Speer was a megalomaniac, a criminal, or both.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day. But is best when started between 11am to 8pm when all the stops along the route are open.
• Public Bathrooms can be found at the Academy of Arts and at the café opposite of the Reichstag.
• Bring some cash. You’ll want 10 Euro for the Detour, and often places in Berlin do not take credit.

Credits

Narrator

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schäche

Producer

Saskia Veigel

Associate Producer and language editor

Luisa Beck

Co-Writers

Peter Schubert 

Christopher Zitterbart

Script Editor

Rolf Roring

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producers

Stacey Book

Executive Producer

Watchmen Productions Berlin Christopher Zitterbart

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

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Walk the streets of this West Berlin neighborhood and discover the beating heart of music during the Cold War.

Starting Location

8 Nollendorfplatz

Duration

1 hour, 15 minutes

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Description

Ever wonder where artists like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Nick Cave got their groove? This neighborhood certainly left a giant imprint on their sound. Schoneberg might look like a family friendly enclave now, but in the 80s you couldn't walk a block without stumbling past war ruins covered in graffiti, cheap studio space, smoke-filled bars and vinyl shops. On this walk, musician and producer Mark Reeder will take you to the bars, the squatted houses, and vinyl stores that made up this neighborhood and tell you how it shaped music from post-punk to the birth of techno. With his band "Die Unbekannten", which means "The Unknown", he was right in the center of it all.

Enter a West Berlin that was both a desert island in communist East Germany, and a paradise for the artists who yearned to be free, unpretentious and wild.

On this Detour, you'll hear the sounds that emerged from smokey studios and meet the creative geniuses who turned war ruins into a breeding ground for music legends.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day. But is best when started between 12pm to 7pm from Monday to Saturday.
• Bring some cash. You’ll want 10 Euro for the Detour, more if you want to buy some records, and often places in Berlin do not take credit.

Credits

Narrator

Mark Reeder

Producer

Nancy Biniadaki

Associate Producers

Eddie Chebbi Luisa Beck

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

Executive Producers

Watchmen Productions Berlin Christopher Zitterbart

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Music Clearance

Elizabeth Pepin Silva

Featured Music

Ambient Music by Mark Reeder From her to eternity – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Against the Wall – Die Unbekannten Radio War – Die Unbekannten I will be your only one – Malaria! You hurt me – Shark Vegas Die Tödliche Doris - Tanz im Quadrat Die Tödliche Doris – 7 Tödliche Unfällle im Haushalt Kollaps - Einstürzende Neubauten 99 Luftballons – Nena

Featured Voices

Mark Reeder 

Wolfgang Müller 

Sascha Disselkamp

Image Credits

Cover Picture: Nancy Biniadaki Highlight Pictures: Nancy Biniadaki and Markus Müller Navigation Photos: Saskia Veigel Archival Images: Romy Haag and David Bowie, credit: ullstein bild - Henrik Gaard Material für Nachkriegszeit“ credit: Wolfgang Müller Winterfeldstraße Hof“, credit: Sascha Disselkamp Dschungel", credit: Esther Colton

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Step back to Berlin during WW2, and hear a story about the power of the human spirit to triumph over darkness.

Starting Location

33 Greifswalder Straße

Duration

2 hours

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Description

It's hard to imagine now that this neighborhood - Prenzlauer Berg - along with the rest of the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Berlin, was the belly of the Nazi beast during World War II. But even as Hitler emptied this city of its Jews and dissidents there was a small, secret community hiding in plain sight. These rebels were called "the divers" because they were submerged in the Berlin Underground. And Vivien Orbach-Smith knew one of them very well. He was her father.

On this Detour, Vivien will take you into the world of her father Lothar Orbach as he came of age in Nazi Berlin. She'll share his incredible story of survival on the very streets where it happened. You'll follow his route of escape from the grips of the secret Nazi police, trace his hideouts on the neighborhood's rooftops, and visit one of the oldest and most fascinating jewish cemeteries in Berlin. Despite it arguably being the worst time and the worst place in modern history, you will discover Lothar's remarkable story of courage and resistance.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day. But is best when started Monday to Thursday between 9.30 am and 2.30 pm or on Fridays between 9.30 am and 11.30am to be able to access the Jewish cemetery during open hours.
• Bring 3 Euros in change. You will need it to buy a tram ticket.
• Think of this walk as an easy urban hike. Wear comfortable shoes and layers. Be careful on the cemetery as the trees are very old and some branches might fall.

Credits

Narrator: Vivien Orbach-Smith

Featured Voices: Richard Orbach Larry Orbach

Producer: Christopher Zitterbart

Associate Producers: Shlomit Lasky, Saskia Veigel, Luisa Beck

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producers: Stacey Book

Executive Producer: watchmen productions Berlin

Sound Design Supervisor: Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor: Mikael Sandgren

Audio Engineer: ASK Julian / Brooklyn studio

Image Credits

Cover Photo: Markus Müller

Narrator Portrait: Devin Curry 

Highlights Photos: Christopher Zitterbart 

Navigation Photos: Christopher Zitterbart Archive pictures: 

Personal archive Vivien Orbach-Smith 

Destroyed store int. Bundesarchiv, Bild 119-2671-06 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 

Destroyed store exteriors: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-083-42 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, Bild 146-1972-033-39 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, Bild 146-1970-083-44 / Friedrich, H. / CC-BY-SA 3.0 

Hitler Youth Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P049456 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Hitler Youth flags Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-2004-0028 / Marmulla, L. / CC-BY-SA 3.0 

Destroyed Synagogue Bundesarchiv, Bild 147-1118 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 

Audio Footage from Screenocean "The Secret History: The Hidden Jews of Berlin"

Special Thanks

Vivien Orbach Smith 

Ricky Orbach, Juliet Orbach, Jewish Community of Prenzlauer Berg, Felix Istratov, Shlomit Lasky, REWE, Martina Erdmann-Janisch, Kenny and the Buchbox Berlin Team, Ulrike Boettcher, Silent Heroes Memorial Center, Berlin, Peter Ebel, The memoir YOUNG LOTHAR: AN UNDERGROUND FUGITIVE IN NAZI BERLIN (I.B. Tauris, summer 2017).

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Explore this neighborhood in the evening, have a drink, and hear the story of a soul singer trapped here during the Cold War.

Starting Location

1 Kastanienallee

Duration

1 hour, 10 minutes

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Description

Before Prenzlauer Berg became chique, it was a refuge and sancutary for the world's edgiest performers. Beginning after World War II, it changed from a working class neighborhood in ruins into a mecca for music, misfits and nightlife, all centered around the local bars.

On this Detour, American musician and DJ Jeff Collier will take you to some of the best bars and tell you about the past and present of this remarkable East Berlin neighborhood. You'll journey back in time to the socialist era in the late 1960s, to meet the American musician named Etta Cameron and hear how both Jeff and Etta were trying to escape while also discovering themselves in the bars that serve the city's edgy beats, conversations, and drinks.

Along the way, you'll meet Berlin's creatives, groupies, street urchins, and all the beautiful flawed creatures in-between. You'll hear pining guitars, take in the musky smell of dimly lit rooms, and sip some drinks. It doesn't matter who you are. Everyone belongs here. Are you ready?

Tips & Hours

• This Detour should be taken any time after 7pm, any day.
• Bring some cash, most of the bars in this neighborhood do not take credit cards. We’ll point out an ATM at the start of the tour.

Credits

Narrator

Jeff Collier

Producer

Eddie Chebbi

Co-Writer

Christopher Zitterbart

Script Editor

Rolf Roring

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book Watchmen Productions GmbH

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Music Clearance

Elizabeth Pepin Silva

Audio Engineer

Philipp Nespital

Featured Music

Etta Cameron – Jungle City, USA T.A.S.S. – Snakedance Cavern of Anti-Matter – Tardis Cymbals

Featured Voices

Eddie Chebbi as Tolga Forta Joe Dilworth

Image Credits

• Cover Photo, highlights: Christopher Zitterbart 

• Navigation photos: Eddie Chebbi 

• Archival images: Etta Cameron and Manfred Krug, credit: Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J0325-0017-001 / Franke, Klaus / CC-BY-SA 3.0

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Discover the tunnels and secret meeting rooms of the Berlin rebels who cracked the Berlin Wall and plotted its downfall.

Starting Location

31 Gartenstraße

Duration

1 hour, 30 minutes

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Description

On this Detour you're going to walk through a wall. Not just any wall. The Berlin Wall, or the Iron Curtain, that separated Germany for 28 years. Some would say it didn't just divide Germany. In the minds of the people, it divided Europe and even the entire world.

Siegbert Schefke helped create a secret route to connect the two worlds. He was part of a growing rebellion, an uprising against the East German communist regime. Its rebel members defied the wall with a printing machine and the power of pictures to help influence public perception in Germany and around the globe.

On this Detour, Schefke will introduce you to people who risked their lives to fly, dig, and crawl out of communism. You'll trace the tunnels they spent months secretly digging just out of the reach of East German state security. You're going to see how a wall split a country, a city, and families in two, and how a group's single-minded determination eventually helped tear it down.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day. But is best when started between 1pm to 5pm on Wednesday to Sunday, when all the stops along the route are open.
• The Berlin Wall memorial is open daily from 8am to 10pm, but the viewing platform is closed Mondays.
• Bring some cash. You’ll only need a few Euro for the Detour, but often places in Berlin do not take credit.
• Think of this walk as an easy urban hike, be ready for lots of walking. Wear comfortable shoes and layers if it is cold.

Credits

Narrator

Siegbert Schefke

Producer

Sabina Franke

Associate Producer and language editor

Luisa Beck

Associate Producer

Saskia Veigel

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producers

Stacey Book

Executive producer

Watchmen productions Berlin, Christopher Zitterbart

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Audio Engineer

Philipp Nespital Thomas "Enno" Nokielski

Featured Voices

Christopher Zitterbart as Siegbert Scheffke 

Susanne Häussler as Evelin Rudolph 

Arne Fuhrmann as Joachim Rudolph

Image Credits

• Cover Picture: Markus Müller 

• Highlight Pictures: Markus Müller and Christopher Zitterbart 

• Navigation Photos: Sabina Franke and Christopher Zitterbart 

• Featured Artwork: Frank Wiemann 

• Archive pictures: Landesarchiv Berlin, F Rep. 290-02-15 Nr. 0265729 / Fotograf: Günter Schneider.

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A Cold War spy shares his story of the fascinating and terrifying battle of ideologies that once divided the world.

Starting Location

Pariser Platz

Duration

1 hour, 45 minutes

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Description

When you think Cold War, you probably picture James Bond, spy glasses, missiles, and tall Russian blondes. But real spies know the Cold War era was a lot more secretive, edgy and risque than that. On this Detour, Nigel Dunkley, an intelligence gathering officer (i.e. "spy") will show you that the Cold War was a terrifying battle between the free, capitalist, and democratic world and the restrictive, communist, Soviet empire. And he'll also tell you some exciting spy stories.

Come see how Berlin became a microcosm of the Cold War: a city divided into East and West, capitalism and communism, Allies and Soviets. And you'll discover how spies navigated both sides — gathering information for regimes that turned this city into their political chessboard. If you look closely, you can see imprints of their moves everywhere — in the architecture, the cars, the cracks in the sidewalk, and the reflections in cafe windows. You just have to know where and how to look. Dunkley will take you back in time to the era of divided Berlin.

Along the way, you'll climb a Cold War watchtower, pull a few tricks to ditch a Stasi agent, and visit the sight of the famous Checkpoint Charlie.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day. But is best when started between 11 am to 3 pm when all the stops along the route are open.
• Bring some cash. You’ll want 10-15 Euro for the Detour, and often places in Berlin do not take credit.
• Think of this walk as an easy urban hike, be ready for lots of walking. Wear comfortable shoes and layers if it is cold.
• The Berlin Watchtower memorial is open daily from 11 am to 4 pm, and if the weather is good.

Credits

Narrator

Nigel Dunkley

Executive Producer

Christopher Zitterbart

Associate Producers

Saskia Veigel 

Eddie Chebbi 

Luisa Beck

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Stacey Book

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Travel to the 1920's through a painter's eyes, and discover why the Golden era shined brightest in Charlottenburg.

Starting Location

29 Kurfürstendamm

Duration

1 hour, 35 minutes

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Description

For a young artist in 1919, Kurfürstendamm was the place to be. This turbulent avenue was filled with shops, hotels and restaurants, theatres and cinemas. High society, artists and intellectuals all lived here. Berlin in the 1920's was known for freedom, tolerance, and a legendarily open sexuality. And Kurfürstendamm was the centre of it all. Women ditched ankle-long dresses and wide-brimmed hats for bob haircuts, some even kissed and held hands while walking down the street.

Walk this neighborhood with Jeanne Mammen, a painter in Berlin's Golden 20's. She was in the middle of it all and used the Kurfürstendamm as a huge atelier. Actress Meret Becker will be her voice on this Detour, and take you back in time to discover inner artist circles, wild nightlife, and revolutionary ideas about sexuality. You'll see the spot where Marlene Dietrich performed, and visit the flat of silent film star Asta Nielsen. And you'll discover why the Golden 20's shined brighter here than anywhere else in Berlin.

Tips & Hours

• This Detour can be taken anytime, any day. It is best when started 11am – 7pm.
• Bring some cash. You'll want 10 Euro for the Detour, and often places in Berlin do not take credit.

Credits

Narrator: Meret Becker

Head of Content: Heather Schuster

Executive Producer: Stacey Book, Watchmen Productions GmbH

Producer: Nancy Biniadaki

Music Clearance: Elizabeth Pepin Silva

Featured Music: Wenn die beste Freundin - Marlene Dietrich, Margo Lion Das Lila Lied – Melinda Hughes / written by Mischa Spolianski (Pseudonym Arno Billing) and Kurt Schwabach The Lavender Song – Ute Lemper & Matrix Ensemble / written by Mischa Spolianski (Pseudonym Arno Billing) and Kurt Schwabach Audio Engineer Thomas "Enno" Nokielski

Image Credits: Nancy Biniadaki [Cover Picture, Highlights], Saskia Veigel [Navigation Pictures]

Featured Artwork: All featured artwork by Jeanne Mammen (© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn): Photos © Förderverein der Jeanne-Mammen-Stiftung e.V., Berlin: "Berliner Straßenszene" n. d. [c. 1929], watercolor and pencil, (cat. rais. A 329). "Dirne auf grüner Couch" n. d. [ca. 1928], watercolor and pencil, (cat. rais. A 400). "Nutten" n. d. [ca. 1930], lithograph (asphalt print), (cat. rais. D 15 20/6). "Aschinger" n. d. [ca. 1926], watercolor and pencil, (cat. rais. A 204). "Freundinnen" for "Songs of Bilitis" n. d. [ca. 1928], lithograph, (cat. rais. D 19 P.A. 3). "Bei Kranzler" n. d. [c. 1929], watercolor and pencil, (cat. rais. A 321)

Photo © Berlinische Galerie: " Valeska Gert" n. d. [before 1929], oil on canvas, (cat. rais. G 11). Berlinische Galerie inv. no. BG-M 651/78.

Photos © Mathias Schormann: "Sie repräsentiert" n. d. [c. 1928], watercolor and pencil, (cat. rais. A 274)., "Self Portrait" n. d. [ca. 1926], watercolor, [cat. rais. SB XII/24]., "Verheissung eines Winters" 6.10.1975, oil and tinfoil on canvas, (cat. rais. G 295).

Archive Picture Josephine Baker in Berlin, Credit: ullstein bild - AKG

Special Thanks: Förderverein der Jeanne-Mammen-Stiftung e.V. – Cornelia Pastelak-Price Berlinische Galerie - Dr. Annelie Lütgens Katja Koblitz Dr. Claudia Schoppmann Pension Funk THE BAR

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Explore the trendy streets of Harajuku as Rei Shito explains how she became Tokyo's top street fashion photographer.

Starting Location

14-27 Jingumae 1-Chōme

Duration

50 minutes

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Description

Trends change quickly in Harajuku, but the power of its street fashion endures. Join street style photographer Rei Shito, voiced by Tiffany Saito, as she takes you through the neighborhood where she was discovered as a model and later honed her skills as a photographer. Along the way, you'll check out a pedestrian bridge where Rei scouts new talent, stop by a homemade caramel shop to sample her favorite sugar fix, and see the condom shop where she did her first modeling gig.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day.
• This detour is best taken between 11am- 8pm, any day of the week.
• Number Sugar is closed on Tuesdays.

Credits

Narrators

Rei Shito Voiced by: Tiffany Saito

Contributing voices

Shoichi Aoki Voiced by: Cyrus Sethna 

Mr. Shimanoe Voiced by: Bob Werley

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Kaori Ikeda

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Editor

Jarrod Ratcliffe

Sound Design

Dylan Peck

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Humphrey Lena 

• Navigation photos: Kaori Ikeda 

• Call out photos: Shoichi Aoki, Rei Shito 

• Archival Images: Rei Shito

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Discover the sights and sounds of Hondae's art, and music scene with artist and local university graduate Han Byul Jang.

Starting Location

Wausan-ro 22-gil

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

Hongik University's famous art and architecture programs, led by university graduate Han Byul Jang, voiced by Alec Cho. Jang graduated with a degree in oriental painting and he creates installation art—his first piece was done in the halls of the university and still exists there today. Discover how students and graduates spray-paint the walls, showcase their work in galleries, sing in clubs, and design many of the high-rise buildings that make up Hongdae. Jang will show you how the neighborhood is a blank canvas and musical playground for students and other young people to fulfill their artistic dreams. Along the way, you'll check out a variety of street art, explore an art gallery/cafe with an eclectic art collection, and discover the art of serving tea.

Tips & Hours

• Bring sunscreen and water if it’s a hot day.
• This tour can be taken from any day of the week from 11am - 10pm. But it is best taken between 6pm- 10pm when the music clubs are open.
• Wear comfortable shoes and have some cash for drinks and snacks.
• This tour ends at one of Hongdae’s favorite Korean tea houses, which takes Visa and Mastercard. The tea house closes at 10pm.
• Tipping is not customary in South Korea.

Credits

Narrators

Han Byul Jang Voiced by: Alec Cho

Contributing Voices

Seenyoung Kim 

Professor Hahn Joh

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer 

Kim Kantner

Producer

Jay Lee 

Kyu Ho Lee

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Writer

Hee Kyeong Lee

Editor

Markus Zakaria

Sound Design

Markus Zakaria

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Yong Dae Kim 

• Navigation photos: Jay Lee, Kyu Ho Lee 

• Call out photos: Han Byul Jang, 

• Archival Images: AERIAL RAILWAY SHOT

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Explore Seongsu as Jongseok Kim explains how this industrial district is becoming the hip, creative part of Seoul.

Starting Location

Seongdeokjeong-gil

Duration

1 hour, 5 minutes

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Description

In 1997, the Asian Financial Crisis, known as the IMF, hit Seoul hard. Jongseok Kim's family struggled to keep their printing business going, but eventually it closed. Kim, voiced by Juchul Nam, will tell you his story as a lifelong resident of Seongsu-dong who has opened a new business there. And he will explain how he started two landmark community campaigns that built bridges between locals. Along the way, you'll explore a traditional Korean Market to check out Korean kimchi, walk along the edge of the Han River, and see how this neighborhood earned the nickname The Brooklyn of Seoul.

Tips & Hours

• This tour can be taken anytime, any day of the week.
• Sugarman Pub is open everyday from 3pm to 7pm.
• Bring water and sunscreen. In the summer, it can get very hot near the Hangang river.
• Wear comfortable shoes and bring some cash for drinks and snacks. This tour ends at one of Seongsu’s most popular cafés.
• Tipping is not customary in South Korea.

Credits

Narrators

Jongseok Kim Voiced by: Jooch Nam

Contributing voices

Kang Kim Voiced by: Janice Paik

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Jay Lee 

Kyu Ho Lee

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Writer

Hee Kyeong Lee

Editor

Brian Heater

Sound Design

Costas Davinas

Sound Design Supervisor

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervisor

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Yong Dae Kim 

• Navigation photos: Jay Lee, Kyu Ho Lee 

• Call out photos: Yong Dae Kim

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Chef and beer sommelier Bong Gyun Son gives you a taste of Korean craft beer and barbeque in a traditional Hanok village.

Starting Location

Jon-ro, Jong-ro

Duration

1 hour

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Description

By the end of the Korean War, approximately 80% of South Korea was destroyed and much of Seoul's history was lost. But what about the parts of the city that survived? Today, you'll discover a century-old Hanok village in lkseon dong, a hidden gem where history is found in the buildings and the beer. Join Bong Gyun Son, voiced by Sean Lim, a local resident and Korea's first ever beer sommelier, to learn the secrets of this village, eat some traditional Korean street food, and enjoy classic spicy Korean barbeque. Along the way, you'll hear how this former civil engineer became Korea's king of beer. Bottoms up!

Tips & Hours

• This tour is best taken Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm- 10pm when all of the businesses are open. Most businesses are closed on Monday.
• This is a drinking tour with Korean food so come hungry!
• Eating and drinking everything suggested on this tour is completely optional, if you eat and drink everything we suggest it will cost roughly 90,000 won or 80.00 US$. All of the pubs and restaurants take Mastercard and Visa.
• Tipping is not customary in South Korea.

Credits

Narrators

Bong Kyun, Son Voiced by: Sean Lim

Contributing Voices

Han Ah,Park Voiced by: Janice Paik

Head of Content

Heather Schuster

Executive Producer

Kim Kantner

Producer

Jay Lee Kyu Ho, Lee

Associate Producer

Maggie Clarke

Writer

Hee Kyeong, Lee

Editor

Brian XX

Sound Design

Costas Davinas 

Julian Kwasneski

Music Supervision

Mikael Sandgren

Image Credits

• Cover photo: Yong Dae Kim 

• Navigation photos: Jay Lee , Kyuho Lee 

• Call out photos: Jae Eun Lee 

• Archival Images:

Starting Locations of All Detours

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