The Irregular Guide to New York City: Poop

I think we've seen enough ghosts and graveyards for now. (Though there are still more to come.) For the next few days, I'll be posting entries from my favorite chapter of The Irregular Guide to New York City. It's a very special chapter with a very simple name:

POOP

I know what you’re thinking. I can see poop anywhere. What’s so great about the poop in New York? Nothing—aside from the fact that we have an awful lot of it. So much, in fact, that it’s played an important role in the history of this city. Before we figured out how to deal with all the poop we produce, it poisoned our water, befouled our rivers, and spread diseases that killed hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. It’s the twenty-first century, and we still haven’t cleaned it all up. So grab a pair of nose plugs, and let’s take a look at how we got into this mess. I promise—it’s going be fascinating.