8 NYC Podcasts That Offer New Ways to Appreciate Our City

Just like New York is the city that never sleeps, podcasts offer endless exploration. The podcast explosion over roughly the last decade has led to a ton of listening options — so many that you might not even know where to begin. Start with the eight NYC podcasts on this list to tap directly into the Big Apple’s distinct balance of excitement, chaos, and serenity.

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

With nearly 20 years and 500 episodes, The Bowery Boys is the definitive podcast for anyone interested in NYC’s past. Hosts Tom and Greg have covered 400 years of NYC stories, including Dominican culture shaping Washington Heights and Gerald Ford being misreported to have told the city to “drop dead.” We love listening to this podcast while we’re taking long walks through the city as we run errands.

The Dorota Diaries: A Gossip Girl Podcast

For certain generations, Gossip Girl is the epitome of an NYC TV show. Relive the iconic series with The Dorota Diaries: A Gossip Girl Podcast, in which hosts Talea and Maria go through the show episode by episode. Putting this podcast in your ears while you’re on the subway makes for a highly entertaining commute, and it’s an especially fitting listen if you’re headed to the Upper East Side.

Fun City

For fans of RPG actual play podcasts, Fun City puts a fundamentally Big Apple spin on this niche format. Listen in on Jenn de la Vega, Nick Guercio, Shannon Odell, and Bijan Stephen’s tabletop game adventures, which are set in NYC in 2102 after climate catastrophe has occurred. Try this podcast out after taking a pull from Off Hours’ Maui Wowie all-in-one vape since the Maui Wowie cultivar may lead to mood-lifting bursts of laughter.

Boroughs in Brief

Get out and about with Boroughs in Brief, a podcast that drops every weekday and brings you the best things to do in NYC. Enjoy one of Beboe’s Blood Orange-Inspired gummies as you listen, then give yourself 30 minutes to two hours to start feeling the effects. By the time your newly discovered plans roll around, you may feel ready to venture out with a boost in excitement and a near-complete lack of inhibition.

NYC NOW

With three episodes per day, NYC NOW from the beloved radio station WNYC is the easiest way to keep up with everything going on in the city. It covers local news, the impacts of federal decisions on NYC life, and everything in between with its morning headlines, midday news, and evening roundups.

Although keeping up with the goings-on is important, if you find it stress-inducing, pair NYC NOW with Ruby Farms’ Grand Daddy Purple Classics pre-rolls. The Granddaddy Purple strain is associated with relaxation and euphoria, potentially muting your anxiety with blissful vibes.

The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Power Broker

This limited-run series from the ongoing 99% Invisible podcast focuses on how one New Yorker literally and figuratively shaped the city without being a politician. The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Power Broker focuses on Robert Moses, who brought many of New York’s parks, beaches, and roads into existence. The dark side of his story — his outsize influence on politics and the inhumanity of his work — is explored in great detail as well.

Given Moses’ shaping of New York’s parks, we like putting this podcast on while we’re walking through Central Park, Prospect Park, or any green space in between. And since this series gets pretty in-depth, PAX’s Blue Dream live rosin vape pod may make all the difference — the highly popular Blue Dream strain is associated with focus.

Sex and the City: The Rewatch

Sex and the City is arguably the single most NYC show of all time. Experience it like it’s new with Sex and the City: The Rewatch, which covers all six seasons of the original show and the three seasons of And Just Like That. We love it for putting some pep in our step while we do chores around the house. It’s like mopping the floors while being a total Miranda.

Girls Rewatch

Originally devoted to the NYC-centric hit TV show Girls, the podcast Girls Rewatch has pivoted to revisiting the other definitionally NYC 2010s TV show. Tune in as hosts Amelia Ritthaler and Evan Lazarus make their way through Broad City one episode at a time, with guests including Abbi Jacobson herself.

Ilana Glazer has yet to go on the podcast, but it’s easy to honor her cannabis-loving legacy — and that one time she and Abbi tried psychedelics — while listening. Woodstock’s Gorilla Glue x Modified Grapes live nugs check both boxes.

How to best pair podcasts and cannabis

If you’re drawn to any of the podcast-cannabis pairings we’ve suggested, we recommend modest initial doses, stealthy consumption when on the go, and getting your cannabis from the right place.

Start low and go slow. If you’re new to cannabis, consuming a microdose or small dose may help minimize your learning curve. No matter how experienced you are, keep your initial dose low, then wait for your product’s expected onset time to pass. Only after that should you consider consuming more. This deliberate, slow pacing makes you far less likely to get overwhelmed.

Stay discreet. You can’t quite smoke weed anywhere in NYC, but some places allow smoking or vaping. Although you can’t smoke or vape in most parks, you can do so on sidewalks at least 100 feet from churches, hospitals, schools, daycares, and libraries. Choosing vapes keeps your consumption more discreet since there’s no cannabis odor. THC gummies or THC drinks also look and smell like everyday products.

Shop only at licensed dispensaries. Only at licensed dispensaries do all products for sale undergo state-regulated cannabis lab testing for potency, quality, and purity. The Travel Agency’s dispensaries in Union Square, Downtown Brooklyn, SoHo, and Midtown East (Fifth Avenue) are all licensed. Better yet, our budtenders are always excited to answer your questions, and we tailor our advice to your exact wants and needs.

Find your ideal podcast pairing at The Travel Agency

Cannabis elevates the experience of diving deep into NYC history, going back through a favorite TV show, and laughing along with a podcast. Choose The Travel Agency for top-quality flower, vapes, edibles, and more alongside same-day cannabis delivery in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and select parts of Queens. Whether you’re commuting with your pod of choice or kicking it on the couch, we’re here to help you sink in.