Beginning in November 2013, The New York Public Library's Community Oral History Project has collected oral histories of people throughout the city. Volunteer interviewers have participated in collecting these personal accounts that document, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of the city's unique communities by collecting the stories of people who have experienced it firsthand.

The following highlights are selections from four distinct NYPL oral history projects—stories of the past and present history of these communities. Interviews will eventually be available in a preservation archive at The Milstein Division for U.S. History, Local History, and Genealogy, as well as on the New York Public Library website.

Enjoy listening to these stories representing our city's diverse and changing history and then visit our website, oralhistory.nypl.org, to listen to the full-length oral histories.

Listen to highlights below...

Your Village, Your Story: Greenwich Village Oral History Project

Chris Billias is interviewed by Evdokia Sofos. Chris describes his experience as a teenager sneaking into bars and clubs in Greenwich Village. He also mentions bringing dates to the Staten Island Ferry at the time.

A People’s History of Harlem: Our Neighborhood Oral History Project

Charlsie Bodie is interviewed by Pat Williams. Charlsie describes going to the Apollo Theater and the Savoy Ballroom for entertainment when she was younger.

Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience

Frank Senior is interviewed by Joel. Blind since birth, Frank grew up in Harlem. He talks about what it was like to learn how to navigate the city with a cane for the first time.

Voices from East of Bronx Park: An Oral History Project of the Allerton, Van Nest, Pelham Parkway, and Morris Park Communities

Vincent Prezioso is interviewed by Jeremy Warneke. Vincent moved to Morris Park with his family in 1939 and describes what it was like to live in the neighborhood during the Great Depression and WWII era, when Morris Park was mostly farmland.