Originally published in 1904, this book is a running monologue by Chuck Connors, the "unofficial Mayor" of Chinatown.

Connors was a Bowery tough who made a reputation and a living by ferrying white tourists on tours of Chinatown. "Slumming" through Chinatown was a favorite adventure of middle class (and upper class) New Yorkers at the turn of the century and into the teens and twenties. Connors obliged by setting up fake opium dens and an "inside look" at a faux seamy side of the neighborhood.

Connors was a living, breathing myth -- with a self-created celebrity based at least as much smoke and mirrors as reality. His Chinatown is a mirage and his persona springs from his imagination, but what an imagination! Even if you aren't a fan of reading out loud, it's worth a try with "Bowery Life." The book is largely a transcription of his stage act and speaking the words -- preferably in a broad Irish brogue -- is the closest we can get to his performance. It's a trip through time to read, or speak, his words. Well worth it for anyone captivated by New York as it was (or wasn't...) ( )