John Straus­baugh cov­ered down­town Man­hat­tan his­to­ry and cul­ture as a writer and edi­tor for the week­ly New York Press from 1988 through 2002. For The New York Times he wrote and host­ed the ​“Week­end Explor­er” series of arti­cles, videos, and pod­casts on New York City his­to­ry. He has also writ­ten for the Wash­ing­ton Post, NPR, and PBS. His pre­vi­ous books include E: Reflec­tions on the Birth of the Elvis Faith, Rock ​‘Til You Drop, and Black Like You. A for­mer res­i­dent of Green­wich Vil­lage, the Low­er East Side, and Hel­l’s Kitchen, he now lives in Brook­lyn Heights.