[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of "Cityscape" from July 24, 2019.] Thousands of people flock to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx every baseball season to take in a game. Many, of course, will purchase something while there — perhaps a hot dog, a beer, or a hat. On this week's "Cityscape," we’re looking at Yankee Stadium, not from the fan perspective, but from the view of a vendor, and a longtime one at that. Stewart J. Zully began vending at Yankee Stadium when he was just 15, and he continued working there into his fifties. Zully describes his experiences as a vendor in his new book, "My Life in Yankee Stadium: 40 Years As a Vendor and Other Tales of Growing Up Somewhat Sane in The Bronx."

[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of "Cityscape" from May 19, 2021.] The new album "Songs for Unconventional Vehicles" is a collection of music about some of the strangest cars, trains, planes, submersibles, dirigibles and rockets. It's a companion to Brooklyn-based musician, composer and author Michael Hearst's children's book "Unconventional Vehicles." Hearst is also the brains behind some other very cool book and music projects, including "Unusual Creatures," "Extraordinary People" and "Curious Constructions." He's our guest on this week's "Cityscape."

[Editor's Note: All month, FUV is celebrating Women's History Month, including with some encore presentations of "Cityscape." This episode is from May 29, 2019.] Can changing your wardrobe change your life? Dawnn Karen thinks so. The New York City-based fashion psychologist is our guest on this week's "Cityscape."

[Editor's Note: All month, FUV is celebrating Women's History Month, including with some encore presentations of "Cityscape." This episode is from February 6, 2019.] In her novel, Flying Jenny, author Theasa Tuohy tells the story of barnstorming pilots who thrilled the public with their daring feats in cities large and small in the 1920s. Flying Jenny follows fictional character Jenny Flynn. She’s a 17-year-old pilot who’s based on real-life pilot Elinor Smith. While not as well known as Amelia Earhart is today, Smith did an amazing thing in October of 1928. She flew her plane under New York City’s four East River bridges. Tuohy joins us on this week's "Cityscape" to talk more about that story and her novel, Flying Jenny.

[Editor's Note: All month, FUV is celebrating Women's History Month, including with some encore presentations of "Cityscape." This episode is from January 20, 2021.] The music industry still has a long way to go for gender equality. Research shows that women remain woefully underrepresented in the industry. Enter All the Ladies, a new children's album that was created in protest of the lack of female representation in the music industry. The collection of 11 songs is focused on general equality, female empowerment and breaking glass ceilings. In this edition of Cityscape, we're talking with the album's creator, Joanie Leeds.

[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of "Cityscape" from October 19, 2019.] The Statue of Liberty is one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of America. But, how did Lady Liberty find her home in the waters of New York Bay? It’s a story of hopes and dreams and failures and successes, and one that features a number of significant people in history. A new book takes a deep dive into the history of the Statue of Liberty. It’s called Lady Liberty: An Illustrated History of America’s Most Storied Woman. The book includes essays by Joan Marans Dim and paintings by Antonio Masi. Joan and Antonio are our guests on this week's Cityscape.

[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of Cityscape from December 22, 2019.] New York City is home to famously unique bookstores like the Strand, Argosy Bookstore, and the Drama Book Shop. But it’s no mystery why one specialty bookstore in NYC has been open for forty years. The Mysterious Bookshop is one of the oldest and largest mystery fiction specialty bookstores in the United States. It was originally located in midtown when it opened in 1979, but it now calls Tribeca home. We joined Otto Penzler, the owner, at the shop to talk about the store’s collection of whodunits.

New York City is famous for a lot of things — great pizza, great theatre, and definitely great fashion. For over a century, New York has been a major hub of innovations in the fashion world. In this episode of Cityscape, we're talking about why. Joining us is Ariel Viera, a videographer with a special interest in New York City's fashion history. We're also chatting with street style photographer Johnny Cirillo (@watchingnewyork on Instagram) and New York-based TikTok fashion icon Clara Perlmutter (@tinyjewishgirl).

[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of Cityscape from January 29, 2020.] People move to New York City for a variety of reasons -- for a new job, to make it on Broadway, to go to college. But, for novelist, playwright and activist Joseph Caldwell, it was largely about finding sexual freedom. Caldwell's new memoir In the Shadow of the Bridge details his life as a gay man and lovestruck writer in New York City. His story captures the before, during and after of the AIDS epidemic, taking us all the way back to when you could rent an apartment in Manhattan for a mere $24 a month.

[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of Cityscape from November 20, 2019] Many of the neighborhoods in New York City’s five boroughs have a rich and storied history, including Parkchester in the eastern Bronx. Parkchester was built as a planned community. It opened in 1940 and was celebrated as a “city within a city.” But, the neighborhood’s early history involved the exclusion of African Americans and Latinos. It was a “whites only” development until the late 1960s. Author Jeffery Gurock takes readers through the history of Parkchester in his new book "Parkchester: A Bronx Tale of Race and Ethnicity." Gurock is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

[Editor's Note: This is an encore presentation of Cityscape from September 18, 2019.] Questions like “how’s your social life?” or “did you spend time with family this weekend?” aren’t typically asked during an annual checkup at the doctor’s office. Most physicians tailor their questions to asking how a patient is physically feeling, not the status of their social calendar. But our guest on this week's "Cityscape" focuses on how factors like friendship and compassion can lead to a healthier life. Dr. Kelli Harding is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her new book is "The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness." It focuses on the science of human connection rather than traditional biological health.

Our guest this week is author and New Yorker cartoonist Ken Krimstein. He joins us to talk about his new graphic narrative called “When I Grow Up.” It brings to life the accounts of six Eastern European Jewish youths right before the start of World War II. It was long thought the Nazis destroyed the autobiographies, but they were discovered in 2017 hidden away in a Lithuanian church cellar.

We all have stories from the pandemic. What was the last fun event you attended before going into quarantine? Did you reconnect with an old friend on Zoom to pass the time? What went through your mind when you got your first vaccination? Our guest this week has penned a book reflecting on her experiences during the pandemic, and she’s encouraging others to put their pandemic stories on paper too. Kate Walter’s new book is called "Behind the Mask: Living Alone in the Epicenter."

She toured with Beyoncé and Victor Wooten, but now bassist Divinity Roxx is stepping into the spotlight with her first family music album. It’s called Ready, Set Go! Divinity is our guest on this week’s show to talk about her new album, as well as her two new picture books, life on the road with Beyoncé and more.

Bronx Bound Books is the newest bookstore rolling through the Bronx. The mobile store runs out of a bus and makes affordable reading material accessible to Bronx neighborhoods that otherwise lack independent bookstores. Books Through Bars NYC is a nonprofit organization that sends free books to people in prisons all over the country. People who are incarcerated can write letters to the organization requesting reading material, and Books Through Bars NYC fills those requests with everything from history books to comics to dictionaries. Joining us on this edition of Cityscape is Latanya Devaughn, owner of Bronx Bound Books, and Victoria Law, a co-founder of Books Through Bars NYC.

Celebrated actress Tovah Feldshuh has played some big names, including Golda Meir, Katherine Hepburn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But in her first book, Tovah introduces us to perhaps the biggest character in her life: her mother, Lily. In her memoir, “Lilyville: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I’ve Played,” Tova explores the bond between mother and daughter, and how we grow to understand our parents better as we age. Tovah joins us this week to talk about her new book and her latest show, "Becoming Dr. Ruth." The limited-run show runs through Sunday, January 2, 2022 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City.

Coney Island has a long and storied history. While its heyday may be long gone, the seaside area is still known as a place for fun and excitement, as well as a good hot dog! Photographer Larry Racioppo has captured images of Coney Island during some of its darkest and brightest days. His new book "Coney Island Baby" includes photographs depicting Coney Island in the late 1970s, when a series of fires devastated its amusement area. But, it also shows happier times, including images of the early days of the famed Mermaid Parade, one of the events that helped to usher in a new era on Coney Island. Larry Racioppo is our guest on this week’s Cityscape, along with writer, historian and journalist Kevin Baker and Dick Zigun, Founder of Coney Island USA. Both Kevin and Dick contributed essays to Larry’s book.

In this episode of Building Brooklyn, we hear the story of Canarsie in reverse, from the racial unrest in the 1990s, to the anti-integration school boycotts in the 1960s, the community of Canarsie's Black residents in the 19th century, all the way back to Brooklyn's first residents, the Native Lenape people, who gave the neighborhood its name.

Brooklyn is constantly changing. This episode takes a look at the changes on just one street in one neighborhood: Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park, which many call Brooklyn's Chinatown. In the early 1990s, BPL and the Museum of Chinese in America collected oral histories about Sunset Park. We dive back into that archive, with help from Professor Tarry Hum, urban planner and former Sunset Parker.

In the early 1900s, if you walked around Sunset Park, you might have heard Finnish being spoken on the streets. That's because the neighborhood was home to the largest concentration of Finns in New York City, and though most have since gone from Brooklyn, they left behind their co-operative spirit. The Finns built the first non-profit co-operative apartment buildings in the nation, many of which are still standing today.

WFUV's Cityscape is pleased to bring you Building Brooklyn, a mini-series from Brooklyn Public Library about four neighborhoods that made Brooklyn the vibrant, diverse borough it is today. Episode #2: At the start of World War II, 200 women were employed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. That number ballooned to 7,000 at the height of the war, but afterward, women workers were gone as rapidly as they appeared. We tell the story using oral histories from women who worked at the yard, and an interview with author Jennifer Egan, who helped create the collection and used it as research for her award-winning novel, Manhattan Beach.

WFUV'S Cityscape is pleased to bring you Building Brooklyn, a mini-series from Brooklyn Public Library about four neighborhoods that made Brooklyn the vibrant, diverse borough it is today. Episode #1: In the middle of the 20th century, a ten square block area in North Gowanus was home to the largest Mohawk settlement outside of Canada. We hear about the Mohawk women who built that community while their husbands and fathers were building skyscrapers. And, we go back hundreds of years in Gowanus and tell the story of the original inhabitants of Brooklyn: the Lenape people, who gave the neighborhood its name.

It’s hard to think of a sector that was not impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. But, thanks to innovative thinking and persistence, the beat went on for many industries and establishments, including Cowboy Technical Services in Brooklyn. Eric Ambel and Tim Hatfield opened their recording studio more than 20 years ago. On this week’s Cityscape, Eric and Tim share the story behind Cowboy Technical Services, how music production has evolved over the years, and what steps they took to make sure COVID-19 didn’t silence the making of new albums.

For the past 20 years, photographer Frank Ritter has been documenting the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as the rebuilding efforts at the World Trade Center site. His photos capture acts of remembrance, celebrations of heroism, and many other scenes that tell the continuing story of the 9/11 tragedy. Frank's photos are now featured in a new book called 9/11 Remembrance. Renewal. Hope. A Twenty Year Journey. Frank is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

Curtains are rising again at New York City theaters. Epic Players is among the companies returning to the stage after the COVID-19 pandemic upended live performances. The Brooklyn-based theater company was founded five years ago to provide opportunities for performers with developmental disabilities to represent themselves on stage and screen. Epic Players will be performing its show EPIC Villains: A Wickedly Inclusive Cabaret at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater on October 24th and 25th at 8 pm. Joining us on this week’s Cityscape are Aubrie Therrien, Executive Artistic Director at EPIC Players, and Ellie Sondock, a New York-based neurodiverse actress and proud member of EPIC Players.

Hummingbears, a red wish tree, and a gorilla who lives in a shopping mall. You'll find all of these fantastical images and more in the children's books of Katherine Applegate. Applegate is a New York Times best-selling author. Her book "The One and Only Ivan" won a Newbery Medal. Applegate is now out with a new book called Willodeen. It's the story of an 11-year-old girl who loves animals and wants to care for the earth. On this week's Cityscape, Applegate shares how she aims to inspire kids to foster a love of reading and a curiosity about the world around them.

Conversations about criminal justice reform often revolve around police and prosecutors. But, our guest this week says it's high time to take a different approach to helping untangle people who are caught up in cycles of criminalization, poverty and incarceration. Emily Galvin-Almanza is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Partners for Justice. She's been a public defender in California and New York.

Dan and Claudia Zanes are our guests on this week’s Cityscape to talk about their new album, Let Love Be Your Guide from Smithsonian Folkways. The album was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprisings, and includes themes of anti-racism, social justice and the joys of community. *** If the name Dan Zanes is familiar to you, it’s because he’s the former lead singer of the 1980s rock band The Del Fuegos.***

In the last decade, it's become easier than ever to find romance without leaving the comfort of your couch. Online dating sites and apps have become increasingly popular, but there are still New Yorkers keeping it old school in their dating lives. On this week's Cityscape, we're delving into the world of matchmaking, relationship coaching and speed dating in New York City to find out why some people are taking a less conventional approach to modern dating.

Even in the concrete jungle, nature is far from elusive. The New York City Parks Department oversees more than 30,000 acres of land in all five boroughs. Parks have long provided a welcome respite from busy street life, but for a lot of people they became even more vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban Park Rangers have been helping New Yorkers and visitors discover and explore the city’s natural world since 1979. In this episode of Cityscape, Urban Park Ranger Andrew Brownjohn talks about his role as an Urban Park Ranger, and discusses some of the most fascinating natural wonders New York City has to offer.

If you’re in Brooklyn this September, don’t be surprised if you pass a few people on the streets in sky-high wigs and even higher heels. Bushwig, an annual festival of drag, music and love takes place September 11th and 12th. The event draws hundreds of drag performers of all styles and sizes. This is the festival’s 10th edition. But if you can’t make it, don’t worry. The vibrant and ever-changing New York City drag scene always has something new and exciting going on, no matter what time of year. This week, we’re exploring the origins of drag in New York City, how it has evolved in the last few decades, and meeting some of the drag performers bringing their own flair to the city’s drag scene today.

From cancel culture to COVID-19 shutdowns, comedians and club owners have had to roll with the punches, while keeping their punchlines sharp. Our guest this week knows quite a bit about the comedy industry and its many phases. Al Martin is a New York City stand up comedian turned comedy club owner. He joins us to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the comedy business, as well as to reflect on his over 30-year career making people laugh.

For centuries people have had a fascination with gemstones. They've inspired myths, been used for medicinal purposes, as well as to create jewelry. After all, a kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend, or so sang Marilyn Monroe. But, where do gems that wind up on your ring or necklace come from, and how do they form? On this week’s show, we’re digging into the world of gems and minerals with Doctor George Harlow. He’s a curator emeritus in the American Museum of Natural History’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Division of Physical Sciences. Dr. Harlow joins us to talk about his own journey in geology, as well as the re-opening of the museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. The 11,000-square-foot Halls are now back in business after a major overhaul.

If you regularly cross over the George Washington Bridge, then you know that even in a pandemic, traffic can be plentiful. The GWB is one of the region’s most iconic structures. The span connects Fort Lee, New Jersey to Washington Heights in Manhattan. It’s become the busiest bridge in the world, with more than 100 million vehicles crossing it ever year. Michael Aaron Rockland is a writer and professor of American Studies at Rutgers University. In his book, The George Washington Bridge: Poetry in Steel, Rockland details the bridge’s history, its longstanding rivalry with the Brooklyn Bridge and its place in American culture. We spoke with Rockland just before the pandemic took hold in February of 2020.

Family music artist Flor Bromley lives in New York, but is native to Peru. Her new album, Pachamama., focuses on her indigenous roots and fuses native music with popular genres. Bromley is our guest on this week’s Cityscape to talk about her latest work and her musical journey overall.

According to the U.S. government, overdose deaths soared to a record 93-thousand last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Floyd Mitchell is a harm reduction coordinator at The Alliance for Positive Change in New York City. Given the surge in opioid use – and overdoses nationally – his work has become even more vital. Floyd is a part of the Alliance’s Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center. He is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

It’s not everyday we think about the role smell plays in our lives. But, its scents like sunscreen that transport us to a day at the beach, or pine that reminds us of summer camp. Scents hold many of our best memories, and perhaps no one knows this better than Sue Phillips. She’s the founder of Scenterprises. Sue has created fragrances for the stars. She’s also helped to develop and market perfumes for companies like Tiffany & Co., Lancome and Elizabeth Arden. Sue is our guest on this week’s Cityscape to talk about how she how she became a "Scentrepreneur," and how she’s now helping people stricken with COVID-19 learn to smell again.

Our guest this week is in the business of helping at-risk kids get on more stable ground. Gabriele Delmonaco is President and Executive Director of A Chance In Life. The international nonprofit provides shelter, food and education to nearly 4,000 homeless, vulnerable and refugee youth in nine countries. They recently opened a facility in the North Shore of Staten Island where 1 out of every 3 kids lives in poverty -- that's twice the national rate. Nearly 20% of the area’s young people are disconnected from school and employment. At A Chance in Life, young people ages 12-24 take part in programs that offer tutoring, financial literacy, mental health counseling, leadership development and more.

Theatre has long helped to break barriers and build community. Queens Theatre is a great example of that. It’s been training Deaf and disabled theatre professionals for years. Their services have become that much more important as people with disabilities grapple with significant job losses due to the pandemic. As cultural institutions continue to reopen, Queens Theatre recently hosted two weeks of workshops to build skills, knowledge and confidence to support participants. Our guests this week are Gregg Mozgala, who leads the Theatre for All programming at Queens Theatre, and Alejandra Ospina, one of the first graduates of the program. They’re with us to talk about the challenges those with disabilities face, how the pandemic has impacted them, and how the Theatre for All program is working to effect changes in the larger industry.

After a year of isolation, a lot of us want nothing more than to get out there and interact with other people. New York City’s public markets are one way to ease your way back into socialization. The company Urbanspace is the brains behind some very nifty food halls and seasonal markets in locations such as Times Square, Bryant Park, Union Square and Columbus Circle. Our guest this week is Urbanspace President Eldon Scott.

Bars and nightclubs took a big hit during the pandemic. Many were forced to close their doors for good. But, the shuttering of Lesbian bars, in particular, is something that has been an ongoing trend, even before COVID-19 gripped the nation. There are now just over 20 Lesbian bars in America. Three of them are in New York City. Enter filmmakers Erica Rose and Elina Street. They’re on a mission to celebrate, support and preserve the nation’s remaining Lesbian bars. We recently caught up with Erica and Elina to chat about their documentary titled The Lesbian Bar Project, as well as the importance of queer spaces.

At a time when many businesses were shutting their doors, LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson were opening their flagship brewery and taproom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. LeAnn and Tara were both avid homebrewers. They met after leaving their corporate jobs in tech and media to join the beer industry. They opened TALEA in March of 2021. LeAnn and Tara are our guests this week to talk about their craft beer journey.

Musician Tracy Bonham rose to fame in 1996 with her hit single Mother Mother. Bonham says a lot of her early music was driven by anger, but her sound today is fueled by joy.  Over the past several years, Bonham has been busy teaching music to kids at the Brooklyn Preschool of Science. She is also now a mom and has recently released a new children’s album called Young Maestros Vol. 1. Tracy Bonham is our guest on this week's Cityscape. 

She’s known as the Sausage Queen. Cara Nicoletti is a 4th generation butcher. She and her company Seemore Meats and Veggies have been breaking new ground in the meat industry. Cara, who lives in Brooklyn, is one of the few women who own and operate a butcher business in the United States, and her company is all about making eating meat less of a burden on the environment. Cara is our guest on this week’s Cityscape to talk about what it was like to grow up in the meat industry and her mission to make eating meat more sustainable.

As New Yorkers prepare to elect a new mayor for the first time in 8 years, a new book provides a deep dive into how the city evolved under four previous administrations -- Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani and Bloomberg. It’s called New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess and Transformation. Author Thomas Dyja says over the last few decades, three different New York Cities have emerged. He joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about these different versions of New York and more.

"C is for Cookie" and that’s good enough, well, for a lot of us. On this week’s Cityscape we’re checking in with Zachary Schmahl, a self-described born cookie monster. Zachary is the owner of Schmackary's in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. You’ll often see a line of folks outside the shop waiting for their chance to bite into one of Zachary’s "Lip-Schmackin’ good cookies." Zachary joins us to talk about how he built his business and how he managed through the pandemic.  

Whoever said you can’t go home, hasn’t met Marty Kleinman. The Bronx-born storyteller returned to his home borough after spending several decades in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Kleinman is out with a new collection of short stories called A Shoebox Full of Money, inspired by his life in and away from the Bronx. He joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about it. 

On this week's Cityscape we’re checking in with one early childhood education program in Brooklyn that uses classic songs and original ones to create a unique music-centric learning experience for young ones. Alex Branson, creator and host of Lavender Blues, joins us to talk about her journey from being a nanny to becoming the "baby singer," and the benefits of music classes for young children, or “bunnies,” as she calls them. 

Libraries have long been a great escape for a lot of people – the perfect place to slip away from the hustle and bustle of life. But, when the pandemic forced libraries to shut their doors, library leaders had to move swiftly to make sure they could still serve their communities. Our guest this week is Dennis Walcott, President and CEO of the Queens Public Library. He joins us to talk about how the Queens Library pivoted during the pandemic, and how COVID-19 isn’t putting a damper on the Library’s125th anniversary celebrations.

As theaters crawl to a comeback in the pandemic, a former Rockette is among those kicking their way back onto a live stage. Lillian Colon was Radio City Music Hall’s first Latina Rockette. But, the road to Radio City wasn’t an easy one for Colon. She's now telling her story in a one-woman show at the Thalia Theater in Queens. But, before the curtain rises on her next performance, she’s talking with us on Cityscape.

Many artists have been struggling throughout the pandemic. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re exploring the history of a program that helped artists through another challenging time in our history -- the 1970s economic crisis. Our guests say the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) could serve as a model to help artists rebound from this time of hardship. 

The pandemic has had a profound effect on many industries and organizations, including nonprofits. Joining us this week to talk about the ripple effects of a pandemic on nonprofits, and the work her organization is doing to help them rebound is Danielle Holly. She’s the CEO of Common Impact. The organization helps nonprofits grow to achieve greater success in the communities they serve by connecting them with corporate experts.

Over the past year a lot of people have found sanity in new hobbies like puzzles, coloring, knitting and crocheting. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re talking with Felicia Eve. She’s the owner of String Thing Studio, a yarn shop and haven for all kinds of crafters, located in Brooklyn. She joins us to talk about her journey to a career in crafting, popular pandemic projects and the diverse community of crafters she’s built through her shop.

It's "game back on" for an indie arcade gallery and bar in Brooklyn. Wonderville is now open again after shutting down amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.   On this week's Cityscape, we’ll plug into the history of Wonderville with the creative couple who brought the concept to life.   Also, T-shirt weather will be here before you know it. One New York City shop likes to keep things old school when it comes to the tee. Metropolis Vintage is known for its collection of vintage concert and band T-shirts. Owner Richard Colligan joins us to talk about the history of the shop, how it’s been managing in the pandemic and, of course, their tees.

Born and raised in Greenwich Village, and still living there today, Donna Florio has amassed a collection of tales about her life on Bank Street.   Over the years she's encountered a large cast of characters, from Sid Vicious of Sex Pistols fame, to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, to activist and politiician Bella Abzug. But, her new memoir Growing Up Bank Street, also shares heartwarming and fascinating stories about her lesser-known neighbors, like Tisch, a female-impersonator who became a life-long friend.   Donna is our guest on this week's Cityscape. 

Breathing is something a lot of us take for granted, but our guest on this week’s Cityscape says the way in which we breathe, could improve our physical health and state of mind, and not just during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.   Dr. Richard Brown is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and co-author of “The Healing Power of the Breath.” Dr. Brown teaches advanced breath techniques to help people relieve stress and  improve mood, mental focus, empathy and performance. Our interview with him as part of WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign focused on efforts to help improve our mental and emotional well-being. 

In America they’re called row houses, but across the pond in England, a row of wall-sharing homes is called a terraced house. Regardless of what you call them, it’s part of what separates cities like London, New York, Boston and Amsterdam from places like Paris and Minneapolis. In his new book, The North Atlantic Cities, author, planner and historian Charles Duff explores row house cities from 1600 to now. He’s our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

Jigsaw puzzles are an age-old pastime, and with more people staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re seeing a resurgence in popularity. British mapmaker and engraver John Spilsbury is credited with making the first jigsaw puzzle in 1762. He was a cartographer, and created what he called "dissected maps" to teach kids geography. On this week's show, we’re talking with modern-day puzzle makers Adam Silver and Sarah Dickinson. They’re the founders of the New York Puzzle Company.

Our guest this week is a social justice musician who uses hip-hop and visual storytelling to educate upcoming generations. He goes by the name of Fyütch. Fyütch is from Gary, Indiana, but he now calls New York City home. He joins us to talk about what brought him to the Big Apple, how he arrived at his stage name, and the message behind his music.   

In times like these, the gentle flickering of a candle can help you feel at ease. And if that candle also has a delightful fragrance, your spirits could be lifted to a whole ‘nother level. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with a Bronx native who's fanning the flames of a successful candle making business. And taking wax to a different extreme, we’ll check in with the folks at Madame Tussauds. 

"COVID Hair, Don’t Care." That might be true for a lot of people, but barbershops are still open for folks who want to have a fresh clean look for that next Zoom meeting.   On this week’s show, we’re checking in with one New York City barbershop that offers a history lesson with a trim.   The NYC Barbershop Museum is a place for classic cuts and barbering artifacts.

You can’t have a conversation about historical architecture without referencing Stanford White. He was one of the most prominent architects of the Gilded Age. White was a partner in the firm McKim, Mead and White, which built some of the most iconic institutional and domestic buildings of the early 20th century.  White’s great-grandson Samuel G. White is out with a new book about Stanford’s work. It’s called Stanford White in Detail. Samuel is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.  

The music industry still has a long way to go for gender equality. Research shows that women remain woefully underrepresented in the industry. Enter All the Ladies, a new children's album that was created in protest of  the lack of female representation in the music industry. The collection of 11 songs is focused on general equality, female empowerment and breaking glass ceilings. In this edition of Cityscape, we're talking with the album's creator, Joanie Leeds. 

Now that we’re heading into the thick of the winter season, who couldn’t use a warm cup of tea? What about a cup while seated on antique furniture? Our guest this week can offer you both.    Honey Moon is the owner of both Brooklyn High Low, a new tea spot located in Prospect Heights, and 1 of a Find, a vintage shop that’s just down the street from the tea room.    Brooklyn High Low puts a New York twist on two classic English traditions: Low Tea and High Tea. 1 of a Find offers vintage clothing and vintage home decor, as well as unique gifts.

After sitting on a jury in a trial involving a double homicide in East Harlem, Efrem Sigel wanted answers. He wanted to know more about the circumstances that led the young people involved to engage in a life of crime and violence. The killings took place in the courtyard of the East River Houses, a public housing complex located on 1st Avenue between 102nd Street and 105th Street in Manhattan.  Efrem Sigel recounts his experience as a juror in the trial and his subsequent examination of the link between poverty and violence in his book Juror Number 2: The Story of Murder, The Agony of a Neighborhood.

What do George Carlin, Barack Obama, Humphrey Bogart and Billie Holiday all have in common? They all once resided on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A new book highlights nearly 600 hundred notables who at one time or another lived on the Upper West Side. It’s called Notable New Yorkers of Mahattan’s Upper West Side: Bloomingdale and Morningside Heights.  The author is Jim Mackin. He’s a New York City historian and founder of WeekdayWalks, which provides tours of New York City neighborhoods. Mackin is our guest on this week's Cityscape.   

A lot of names come to mind when we think of people who have shaped New York City history --  John D. Rockefeller, Edith Wharton, and Robert Moses, for instance. But there are many names you might not know. And too many of those names belong to people of color.  Do you know the name of the person who helped desegregate New York City public transportation? What about the person who helped invent the lightbulb with Thomas Edison? Did you know that New York City was home to the first Black doctor in the United States? Do you know his name?  In You Should Know Their Names, we explore the remarkable stories of seven Black New Yorkers whose names we think you should know. 

The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world, and black women are several times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Bruce McIntyre is trying to do something about that.  His partner died after an emergency C-section at a Bronx hospital in late April. He says her death is an example of long-standing inequities in the health care system for women of color. That's why McIntyre founded the Save A Rose Foundation. It’s dedicated to shedding light on issues of maternal mortality among women of color in the U.S. We recently talked with McIntyre about the love of his life, Amber Rose Isaac, and his efforts to prevent other families from going through similar heartache. 

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, what are the challenges older New Yorkers are facing as the pandemic rages on? According to a new AARP Foundation and United Health Foundation report, the pandemic has resulted in an “epidemic of loneliness” among older adults. Joining us this week to talk more about this and other issues related to the impact of the pandemic on older New Yorkers is AARP New York Director Beth Finkel.

The bookstore scene isn’t what it used to be, but New York City is still home to some remarkable booksellers, including Argosy Books, the city’s oldest independent bookstore and the Strand, arguably the most recognizable bookshop in the city. In this episode, we’re diving into the story of Café Con Libros, an intersectional Feminist community bookstore and coffee shop in Brooklyn. It aims to create “a vibrant community space where everyone; specifically female identified folx, feel centered, affirmed and celebrated.”  Kalima Desuze is the owner of the shop. She joins us this week to talk about the inspiration behind Café Con Libros, the recent “Boxed Out” campaign, and what it means to be a Black female business owner in 2020. 

New York City has long come to life during the holiday season. Between the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and the elaborately decorated holiday windows at stores like Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Big Apple, even in the midst of a pandemic.    But, until the late 19th century it wasn’t Christmas, but rather New Year’s that generated the most excitement in New York City.    We'll hear about that and more this week with our guest Anthony Bellov. He's a long-time volunteer and board member of the Merchant’s House Museum, the only 19th century family home in New York City preserved intact -- both inside and out. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic having brought the curtain down on performances across New York City, The Center for Traditional Music and Dance is launching an online series to provide a stage for immigrant artists, especially vulnerable members of the creative community.    More than 50 leading traditional instrumentalists, dancers, singers, poets and more are featured in Beat of the Boroughs: NYC Online.    The Center for Traditional Music and Dance's Executive Director Pete Rushefsky and Project Director and Staff Ethnomusicologist Andrew Colwell join us on this week's Cityscape to talk about the series, which features immigrant performers from around the world.

2020 has been anything but an easy year -- you know with a pandemic and all. But, a little humor can go a long way. Enter award-winning writer, illustrator, and cartoonist, Bob Eckstein. Bob has had his cartoons published in the New York Times, MAD magazine and the New Yorker. Bob's a regular guest on Cityscape, and joins us this week to talk about what he’s been up to during the pandemic, including putting out a new book with famed New Yorker cartoonist, Michael Shaw. It’s called The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish in this Current Sh*tstorm. 

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, no doubt many people want to turn back the hands of time, or perhaps move them forward. In either case, on this week’s Cityscape, we’re paying careful attention to time with a guy who knows a whole lot about it: Nick Manousos, Executive Director of the Horological Society of New York.   

"Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses." It’s a quip attributed to writer, poet and critic Dorothy Parker. She also once said “a silver cord ties me tight to my city.” Her city being New York City. Dorothy Parker lived an extraordinary life in the Big Apple, but what happened after she died is also extraordinary. It’s a story that was literally put to rest this summer amidst the coronavirus pandemic.  More than 53 years after her death, Dorothy Parker’s ashes were interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.  It’s a tale only our guests on this week's Cityscape could tell well. Kevin C. Fitzpatrick is the head of the Dorothy Parker Society. He’s also a professional tour guide and author. He along with The New Yorker Writer, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, brought Parker’s cremains to the Bronx from Baltimore, where they had been interred at NAACP headquarters. It’s quite the story! 

There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a dark cloud over New York City, and the rest of the world for that matter. But, bright spots still shine through each and every day. Among them, community gardens that have long been a place of comfort and hope for weary New Yorkers. A new book celebrates New York City’s community gardens, as well as the people who create, cultivate and enjoy them. It’s called Rooted in the Hood. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with the author, Anna Angelidakis. 

A lot of people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic have traded their traditional workplace clothes for more comfortable and leisurely apparel -- sweatpants, T-shirts, slippers, etc. But, a new book takes a closer look at how what we choose to wear can affect how we think and work. It's called Dress Your Best Life: How to Use Fashion Psychology to Take Your Look -- and Your Life -- to the Next Level. In this episode of Cityscape, we're talking with the author, New York City-based fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen. 

Will they come back? Midtown Manhattan, the center of business in New York City, is still looking pretty empty these days. Office workers have yet to come back in large numbers. Is the shift to working from home becoming permanent and what will this mean to corporate efforts to diversify the workplace?  For years there’s been talk that automation and digital technology would have a tremendous impact on our nation's workforce, not only eliminating jobs, but also fundamentally changing how and where work is done. COVID-19 has accelerated these trends.   Our guest this week is Dr. Arthur Langer, Chairman and Founder of a nonprofit organization called Workforce Opportunity Services. Workforce Opportunity Services has helped hundreds of young people from underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as post 9-11 veterans, get good jobs at companies like Prudential, Bristol Myers Squibb and others throughout the nation.   Dr. Langer is also a professor at Columbia University,  Langer's research focuses in part on reinventing education and the US workforce.  The W-O-S model, developed by Dr. Langer, focuses on offering support for underserved communities from the beginning of their training all the way through employment. 

Like many small businesses, Economy Candy, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, has had to pivot to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. The iconic New York City candy shop is making the most of online sales, but also going old school. They’ve stationed a pushcart outside of their store dubbed ‘Economy Candy To-Go.” And to make candy shopping super easy, they’ve been selling specially-curated candy packs since March. And yes, they now have Halloween-themed packs for the season. We recently had the chance to catch up with the folks currently holding down the fort of this long-standing family-owned business, third-generation owner Mitchell Cohen and his wife Skye Greenfield Cohen. 

For the first time in its history, New York City’s Central Park is home to a monument depicting real-life women. This summer, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a statue of women’s rights pioneers Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth, made its debut on Central Park’s Literary Walk. The nonprofit organization Monumental Women was instrumental in seeing the project through. We talked with Monumental Women’s President Pam Elam and board member Namita Luthra about their efforts to break the bronze ceiling. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled New York City’s street vendors. With foot traffic slowed to a crawl in many neighborhoods, vendors are struggling to make ends meet, and some have decided not to return to the streets because the dollars and cents just don’t add up. On this week's show, we’re talking with Mohamed Attia, Director of the Street Vendor Project, along with Ahmed Ebrahim, a hot dog vendor at New York’s Rockefeller Center and Alex Simon-Fox, a program officer with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The global philanthropic organization has partnered with the Street Vendor Project to employ street vendors to cook and distribute meals to communities in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Our guest this week knows a thing or two about second chances.  When Coss Marte went to prison in 2009, he was faced with not one, but two big challenges: lose weight and discover a legitimate career upon release. Luckily for him, overcoming the first obstacle helped him find the answer to the other. Coss, a former drug kingpin, is now helping others get into shape through his fitness company -- ConBody. It markets a "prison style" boot camp based Coss' former prison workout routine. The company also provides opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals by hiring them as trainers.  Coss is now doubling down on his commitment to helping ex-inmates turn their lives around with Second Chance Studios. It’s a nonprofit digital media company that trains and employs formerly incarcerated people in audio engineering, podcasting, video production and other in-demand technical skills.

Matt Bocchi was nine-years-old when his father perished in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. What followed for Matt was a life filled with psychological and emotional torment. Matt got involved with alcohol and drugs after an uncle through marriage took advantage of his vulnerability and sexually abused him. Now as we mark the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Matt is more than five years sober and the author of a new memoir titled Sway. He joins Cityscape host George Bodarky to talk about it. 

If you’re like the team at Cityscape, you’ve had your fair share of ice cream this summer. It’s the perfect treat on a hot summer day, but then again, if you ask us, it’s the perfect treat anytime. In this edition of Cityscape, we’re checking in with a unique ice cream shop that’s serving both delicious ice cream and the community at large. Sugar Hill Creamery is located in Harlem. It’s owned and operated by husband and wife duo Nick Larsen and Petrushka Bazin Larsen. They describe the shop as “a love affair between community and food," and serve dozens of flavors of handmade ice cream and non-dairy frozen desserts inspired by their Caribbean and Midwestern cultures, as well as the Harlem community they’re a part of.  We recently talked with Petrushka and Nick about the shop and their recent partnership with Ice Cream for Change to help fight racism.

For emerging artists, securing a residency can be transformational. And now in New York City, a new artist-in-residence opportunity has emerged in perhaps an unlikely place -- Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.  Green-Wood Cemetery recently announced a new nine month long artist-in-residence program. The chosen artist will have the opportunity to use a private studio on the property to create art inspired by the historic cemetery.  In this edition of Cityscape, we're talking with Lisa Alpert and Harry Weil. Lisa is the Vice President of Development & Programming at Green-Wood, and Harry is the Director of Public Programs & Special Projects. He’s in charge of all special programs and events at Green-Wood, including the artist-in-residence program.   

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people have been leaving New York City for greener pastures, whether it be for a day trip or something more permanent. But, even within the big city you can find greener pastures, and we’re not just talking about Central Park and Prospect Park. New York City is home to a working farm with animals and everything.  On this edition of Cityscape, we're paying a virtual visit to the Queens County Farm Museum. We'll also talk with Courtney Wade, who lives on a farm in the Catskills in upstate New York. Courtney is a chef, photographer, graphic designer and the author of The Catskills: Farm to Table Cookbook.   

New York City has long been a backdrop for television shows and movies, making it an ideal place for someone like Georgette Blau. She’s the founder of On Location Tours, an award-winning TV and movie tour company. But, one scene Georgette never expected to find herself in is the owner of a tour company in the midst of a pandemic. In this edition of Cityscape, Georgette shares how she’s rewriting the script for her company, including creating a Friends virtual tour to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the classic TV comedy.  

New York City is known as “the city that never sleeps.” But since the coronavirus pandemic hit, nightlife venues and organizations have had to go to bed, leaving venues struggling to stay afloat. House of Yes in Bushwick, Brooklyn is slowly awakening from its slumber, having recently reopened for outdoor activities. But, the venue, which has been described as a mix of “Studio 54 and Cirque du Soleil” is far from returning to normal.  We recently caught up with Kae Burke, one of House of Yes' founders, via Zoom. We talked about how House of Yes is doing amidst the pandemic, the origins of the venue, and what nightlife in New York City might look like in the future.   

New York City has long been known for its bustling nightlife scene. We're familiar with images of people dressed to the nines packed into posh clubs dancing the night away and jazz musicians performing before more intimate crowds at venues in Greenwich Village. But, the coronavirus pandemic has put the city that never sleeps to bed, leaving its vibrant nightlife scene in a deep slumber. Even as the city continues to re-open, it’s unlikely nightclubs, music venues and performance spaces will return to normalcy anytime soon. A group of individuals and venues associated with New York City’s nightlife scene have launched an emergency relief fund to help venues as they struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic. On this week's Cityscape we'll talk with Ric Leichtung, a founding partner of  NYC Nightlife United.  We'll also hear from J.C. Diaz, president of the American Nightlife Association.

COVID-19 and AIDS are, of course, different diseases, but those who have been on the front lines in the battle against HIV/AIDS see parallels between the crises. Our guest in this episode is Sharen Duke, Executive Director and CEO of The Alliance for Positive Change. She joins us to talk about how the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic compare to now, and the challenges New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS and other chronic health conditions are facing with coronavirus.

Today Lower Manhattan residents seeking to escape the city in the hot summer months may head to the Hamptons or the Jersey Shore, but in the 1800s, midtown Manhattan was the place to go for a quick getaway. Between 1826 and 1833, The Mount Vernon Hotel on East 61st Street was the go-to place for New Yorkers looking to escape the hustle bustle of the city, which at the time extended only as far north as 14th Street. The hotel is now a museum. Unfortunately, the museum is temporarily closed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its virtual doors are open. Cityscape host George Bodarky recently talked with the museum’s director, Terri Daly.

For a lot of New Yorkers, the city’s parks have become sanctuaries, providing a much needed escape from the confines of their homes during the coronavirus pandemic. But advocates are concerned tough economic times ahead could mean less funding for our urban oases.  In this episode of Cityscape we'll hear from Adam Ganser, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks and Michelle Luebke, Director of Environmental Stewardship with Bronx River Alliance. 

  The curtain is coming up on some aspects of life in New York City, but you can expect it to remain down on Broadway for a while longer due to the coronavirus pandemic.  And if you’re wondering how long a while is. Well, that remains to be seen. In this edition of Cityscape, we'll talk with Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, about the future of the Great White Way. We'll also hear from photographer Peter Pabon, who has been traversing New York City to document life amidst the coronavirus pandemic. 

This has been a school year like no other. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, schools were forced to switch to remote learning. But, the reviews on how that has gone over the last few months are mixed to say the least.    The organization Teaching Matters has been helping schools in some of New York City’s poorest districts navigate the challenges of having to quickly pivot to online learning, challenges the non-profit expects to continue into the new school year.   Lynette Guastaferro is CEO of Teaching Matters. Cityscape host George Bodarky talked with her about her organization’s work in helping teachers switch from a brick and mortar classroom to teaching online. 

A lot of us are dealing with the challenges of reemerging into society after months of quarantine, but reentry during a pandemic poses much greater challenges for individuals getting out of prison. Enter the Fortune Society, a New York City based organization that provides essential support for people getting out of prison and promotes alternatives to incarceration. In this episode of Cityscape, host George Bodarky talks with JoAnne Page, President and CEO of the Fortune Society. 

The coronavirus pandemic has hit small businesses across the country hard. They were forced to quickly shut their doors with no clear timeline for when they could re-open. In New York City establishments that sell food and drink were among those deemed essential, and that proved to be an accidental lifeline for one Brooklyn shop. Jane Motorcycles in Williamsburg is not your ordinary retail store. In addition to selling motorcycles and apparel, they have a coffee bar, and because of that, Jane Motorcycles was allowed to stay open during the pandemic. They even added gourmet sandwiches and other food items to their menu in the midst of the outbreak. Citycape host George Bodarky recently talked with the founders of Jane Motorcycles on Zoom. 

Since the late 1800s, Volunteers of America has been working to assist many of New York City’s most vulnerable populations. And that effort continues today in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Cityscape host George Bodarky talked with President and CEO of Volunteers of America-Greater New York, Tere Pettitt, via Zoom.

With nearly 51,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, Brooklyn is one of the most impacted areas in the hardest-hit city in the United States. Cityscape Host George Bodarky recently talked with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams about a wide range of issues, from racial disparities in the age of coronavirus to how the city should look to shore up an economy in crisis. They spoke via Zoom.

Like many cultural institutions, Flushing Town Hall in Queens had to quickly pivot to online programming in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. While its physical doors might be closed, its virtual doors remain wide open. Cityscape Host George Bodarky recently talked with Flushing Town Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek, a self-proclaimed hugger, about how she and her institution are managing in the age of social distancing.   

New York City is full of things to see and do, but these days, well -- coronavirus! The pandemic has brought so much to a halt, including tours of iconic landmarks and historic neighborhoods. Cityscape host George Bodarky recently talked with tour guide Jeremy Wilcox about how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting him and others in the industry. Jeremy is a lifelong New Yorker and treasurer of the Guides Association of New York City. They chatted via Zoom.

The frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic include a long list of characters from healthcare professionals to grocery store workers to truck drivers. But, there’s also an army of girls and young women doing their part to help the nation through this challenging time. In fact, for more than 100 years, the Girl Scouts have been pitching in during all kinds of crises. Meridith Maskara is the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York.  Cityscape host George Bodarky recently talked with her via Zoom about the organization’s long-standing tradition of helping out in times of turmoil.

Between two world wars, the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the September 11th terrorist attacks and Superstorm Sandy, the Third Street Music School Settlement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side has seen a lot in its 125 year history. But just how is the nation’s longest-running community music school weathering the storm of the coronavirus outbreak? Cityscape host George Bodarky recently talked with Third Street’s Executive Director, Valerie Lewis, via Zoom.

In times of crisis, strong leadership is critical for an organization. But, how can a leader lead when facing a terrifying illness? Eric Yaverbaum is the CEO of Ericho Communications in New York City. In the midst of leading his company through the coronavirus crisis, Eric himself was diagnosed with COVID-19. Cityscape host George Bodarky talked with him via Zoom about how he’s navigating his company through these challenging times, and to get his advice on how other leaders can do their best in unchartered territory.

Empty sidewalks in New York City mean few if any customers for street vendors. In fact, most street vendors are staying inside themselves. The idea of lugging out their carts for a few dollars and putting themselves in jeopardy of getting sick provides little incentive. To learn more about the impact the coronavirus outbreak is having on street vendors, Cityscape host George Bodarky talked with the Director of the Street Vendor Project, Mohamed Attia, via Zoom. 

New York is a great city for the arts, but just what the art scene will look like in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen. The outbreak is having a devastating impact on the art world. The lights on Broadway have gone dark, museums remain shuttered, and gallery walks have come to a halt. The New York Foundation for the Arts is taking several steps to help artists get through this crisis. On this week's Cityscape, we talk with NYFA’s Executive Director Michael L. Royce via Zoom. Music discovery starts here.                   ON-AIR   ARCHIVES   MEMBERSHIP   SUPPORT   EVENTS   ABOUT PRIMARY TABS View(active tab) Edit Configure   THE ARTS AND THE PANDEMIC   Audio Player       00:00   00:00   Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.   by George Bodarky   4.08.20 6:00am New York is a great city for the arts, but just what the art scene will look like in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen. The outbreak is having a devastating impact on the art world. The lights on Broadway have gone dark, museums remain shuttered, and gallery walks have come to a halt.  The New York Foundation for the Arts is taking several steps to help artists get through this crisis. On this week's Cityscape, we talk with NYFA’s Executive Director Michael L. Royce via Zoom. ***music for this episode is courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions***

Magazines still line newsstands and you’ll see some of them at the checkout counter at the supermarket, but the industry is not as glossy as it used to be. While many magazines have folded, others have transitioned to a digital format.   On this week's show, we're looking back at 50 years of magazine making with Walter Bernard. He's been the designer and art director of many of the best known magazines and newspapers in the United States, including Time, Fortune and the Atlantic.    He also worked at New York Magazine in its early days. The job was offered to him by New York Magazine co-founder Milton Glaser. Bernard and Glaser recount their days working together at New York Magazine and their work on many of the nation’s other best-known publications in a new book called Mag Men. 

Brooklyn resident Jonathan Samson is the first board-certified music therapist in history to receive a Grammy for Best Children's Album.    Jonathan is the founder of CoCreative Music, a private practice in Brooklyn where he offers a unique combination of music therapy, audio/video production, artistic mentoring and life coaching to inspire "The Child Archetype" in all ages.   He joins us this week to talk about his music and music therapy practice. 

Even in a city as densely populated as New York, people can be — or at least feel — very alone. And the fact of the matter is loneliness can have serious consequences on a person’s physical and mental health.   Jillian Richardson is on a mission to make the world less lonely. She's the founder of The Joy List. It’s described as a resource for people to find events that they can go to by themselves, and leave with a new friend. Jillian’s also the author of the book Unlonely Planet: How Healthy Congregations Can Change the World. She's our guest in this special presentation, produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television. 

A favorite family recipe has the power to pass love and culture down through generations.    Our guest on this week's Cityscape believes in this power so much that he decided to write a book about it, highlighting his own heritage and hoping he can reach a new audience with it.   Kevin Noble Maillard’s new children’s book Fry Bread is a celebration of Native American family tradition through a delicious dish. With Juana Martinez-Neal’s illustrations, the book shows a culture Maillard says is all too often excluded from children’s literature.

Our guest this week Bob Eckstein, an award-winning writer, illustrator and cartoonist. Bob's had his cartoons published in the New York Times, MAD Magazine and the New Yorker. They’ve also been featured in the Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Cartoon Museum of London. Bob's also a snowman expert. He wrote a book called The Illustrated History of the Snowman. Bob’s latest book is Everyone’s a Critic: The Ultimate Cartoon Book. It features a collection of New Yorker cartoons that celebrate “the art of the drawn critique.”    

It’s estimated that 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV. New York State is aiming to be the first state in the country to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by the end of 2020.    Doug Wirth is the President and CEO of Amida Care. Amida Care has a wide network of health care providers throughout New York City and is the largest Medicaid Special Needs Health Plan (SNP) in New York State. Doug joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about New York’s initiative to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and how Amida care is contributing to that effort. Doug served on Governor Cuomo’s Ending the Epidemic Task Force, which came up with a blueprint to snuff out AIDS. Doug is our guest on this week's Cityscape. 

The repurposing of houses of worship has become a trend across the United States. As congregations face dwindling numbers, they’re often left with the choice of selling the buildings they can no longer afford or finding new uses for them. On this week's Cityscape, we’re looking at what happens when a dying church takes on a new life.   

People move to New York City for a variety of reasons -- for a new job, to make it on Broadway, to go to college. But, for novelist, playwright and activist Joseph Caldwell, it was largely about finding sexual freedom.  Caldwell's new memoir In the Shadow of the Bridge details his life as a gay man and lovestruck writer in New York City. His story captures the before, during and after of the AIDS epidemic, taking us all the way back to when you could rent an apartment in Manhattan for a mere $24 a month. 

Big changes are taking place in the U.S. to keep at-risk kids out of residential treatment centers and safely with their families. It’s a result of the Federal Family First Prevention Services Act. The approach is similar to one New York City has championed to reduce the number of kids in foster care over the past 10 years. Advocates say they are pleased to see the federal government catching up.   Our guests this week are Danielle Gaffney and Vincent Madera from the non-profit organization, The Children’s Village. Danielle has been with Children’s Village for around 30 years. She currently serves as the Vice President of Community Based Foster Care overseeing adoption and foster care, supportive housing and shelter services. Vincent has been with Children’s Village for more than ten years. He started as an assistant manager in the Residential Treatment Center. Today he serves as the Director of the Children’s Village Institute, which includes overseeing their family finding and aftercare programs. 

New York City is among a growing number of places working to develop a more inclusive curriculum in schools. That involves ensuring educators are using materials that represent students of different backgrounds.    Teaching Matters is working with schools in New York City to support its efforts to promote culturally responsive teaching strategies. Our guest this week is Lynette Guastaferro, Teaching Matters CEO.   

It’s estimated that between 25 and 30 million Americans live with a rare disease. In the United States, a rare disease is defined as a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people.    On this week's Cityscape, we're meeting a Bronx doctor who has devoted her life to identifying rare diseases in children. Dr. Melissa Wasserstein is chief of Pediatric Genetic Medicine at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

New York City has a lot at stake in 2020. The Census is coming, and if residents aren’t properly counted, the Big Apple stands to lose federal funding and electoral representation. So what are government, community and civic leaders doing to ensure a full and accurate count?    In this week's episode of Cityscape, we’ll be talking with two people on the front lines in the quest for a complete count:   Katie Leonberger is the President and CEO of Community Resources Exchange. CRE is working to help nonprofit and community-based organizations with their 2020 Census education and outreach efforts. Aldrin Bonilla is Manhattan’s Deputy Borough President. Alrdin is heavily involved with making sure there’s an accurate count of Manhattanites in the 2020 Census. He’s also working hard to protect people from census-related scams. 

New York City is famous for its skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and One World Trade Center. But this week, we’re looking at buildings a little shorter than those prominent structures. Our guest is Adam Friedberg, a New York City-based photographer. His new project is the Single-Story Project, which is currently on display at the Center for Architecture in Manhattan. It highlights single-story buildings in the East Village and Lower East Side.

New York City is home to famously unique bookstores like the Strand, Argosy Bookstore, and the Drama Book Shop. But it’s no mystery why one specialty bookstore in NYC has been open for forty years.    The Mysterious Bookshop is one of the oldest and largest mystery fiction specialty bookstores in the United States. It was originally located in midtown when it opened in 1979, but it now calls Tribeca home. We joined Otto Penzler, the owner, at the shop to talk about the store’s collection of whodunits. 

In a city like New York, it’s hard to imagine anywhere that’s not bustling with people. But, a new book explores sections of the city, Queens in particular, that are much less traveled.    In his new book Abandoned Queens, Richard Panchyk takes us to places that are a bit off the beaten trail like the old Flushing Airport site and what he calls the lost neighborhood of Edgemere in the Rockaways. He's our guest on this week's Cityscape.   

In New York State, 400,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, and an additional one million people are tending to them with unpaid care. But help is available from organizations like Sunnyside Community Services. The nonprofit runs Care NYC, a services and support program for caregivers available to English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole speakers across New York City. Our guests this week are Roy Capps, the Caregiver Educator for Care NYC and Carma Augustin, who’s caring for her mom with Alzheimer's.

Anti-Semitic hate crimes have been on the rise in New York City. In fact, the NYPD reports that they're the most common type of hate crime in the Big Apple.  On this week's Cityscape, two faith leaders share their thoughts on the rise of anti-Semitism in New York City, as well as the role they think progressive communities of faith should play in combatting hate.  Our guests are:  Reverend Brett Younger, Senior Minister at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights Serge Lippe, Senior Rabbi at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue

Many of the neighborhoods in New York City’s five boroughs have a rich and storied history, including Parkchester in the eastern Bronx. Parkchester was built as a planned community. It opened in 1940 and was celebrated as a “city within a city.” But, the neighborhood’s early history involved the exclusion of African Americans and Latinos. It was a “whites only” development until the late 1960s. Author Jeffery Gurock takes readers through the history of Parkchester in his new book Parkchester: A Bronx Tale of Race and Ethnicity. Gurock is our guest on this week's Cityscape.     

Hurricanes and blizzards can sweep in quickly without a lot of time to prepare. But when a crisis hits, there are ways to be ready for it. And thankfully, when we’re caught completely off guard, there are organizations to help us pick up the pieces.   We’re very pleased to be teaming up with Bronxnet for our latest campaign focused on emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Joining us for this 1/2 hour discussion are two people on the front lines of helping people prepare for and recover from disasters:    Allison Pennisi is Director of Communications for NYC Emergency Management. Neil Glassman is a Team Rubicon coordinator. Team Rubicon utilizes the skills and experiences of military veterans to help disaster survivors and their communities.

Basketball is a staple activity in New York City. From large venues like Madison Square Garden to local neighborhood courts, you’re bound to find a game of hoops going on. This week, we’re stepping off the court and taking a look at it from behind the lens.    Larry Racioppo is a NYC-based photographer. He’s a regular guest on Cityscape, and this time he’s here to talk about his new book, B-Ball NYC. It features basketball courts in all five boroughs of New York, from traditional hoops to homemade ones, some dating back decades. 

For generations, Coney Island has been a must-see attraction for native New Yorkers and tourists alike. It’s known for its beach, games of chance, hot dogs and thrill rides, like the Cyclone Roller Coaster. But a new book takes readers on a Coney Island-inspired rollercoaster ride of its own.      The book is Zayde’s Arcade: Coming of Age in Coney Island. It focuses on Jason, a 16-year-old who spends his summer working at his grandfather’s penny arcade. Zayde’s Arcade is penned by actor and author Andy Smith. We recently talked with him about his book and his own summers spent at the beachfront in southeast Brooklyn.

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of America.    But, how did Lady Liberty find her home in the waters of New York Bay?    It’s a story of hopes and dreams and failures and successes, and one that features a number of significant people in history.    A new book takes a deep dive into the history of the Statue of Liberty. It’s called Lady Liberty: An Illustrated History of America’s Most Storied Woman. The book includes essays by Joan Marans Dim and paintings by Antonio Masi. Joan and Antonio are our guests on this week's Cityscape.   

You can find a map of almost anything in New York City, from where the best restaurants are to famous movie locations. But, our guest on this week's Cityscape has created a map to showcase an underrpresented aspect of the city's history and culture.  Gwen Shockey is a New York City-based artist whose latest project is an online map called the Addresses Project. It's designed to show how sacred safe spaces are for lesbian and queer people. 

With so many options to buy or read books online, brick and mortar bookstores are becoming harder and harder to find. But one bookstore in New York City has been around since 1925 and is known for its extensive collection of rare and used books.     Argosy Bookstore is the oldest independent bookstore in all of NYC. It is located in a six-story townhouse that is filled with antiquarian and used books, maps, prints and autographs. The main floor and basement alone hold over 60,000 out-of-print books on a range of subjects.       The bookstore is now in its third generation of family ownership. We recently talked with Naomi Hample, one of the three sisters who owns and runs Argosy.

Steinways are often referred to as the Rolls Royce of pianos.    The company has a more than 150 year old history that began on Varrick Street in Manhattan’s West Village. Steinway and Sons was founded by a German immigrant in 1853.   Today, Steinway and Sons has two factories. One is in Hamburg, Germany. The other is in Queens, New York.    Our guest this week is Anthony Gilroy, Senior Director of Marketing and Communication for Steinway & Sons in the Americas.  

Questions like “how’s your social life?” or “did you spend time with family this weekend?” aren’t typically asked during an annual check up at the doctor’s office. Most physicians tailor their questions to how a patient is physically feeling, not the status of their social calendar. But, our guest on this week's Cityscape focuses on how factors like friendship and compassion can lead to a healthier life. Dr.  Kelli Harding is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her new book is The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness. It focuses on the science of human connection rather than traditional biological health.  

Frank Romeo is an artist, an educator, and a Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with 100 percent post-traumatic stress disorder. In March of this year, Frank walked over 750 miles across New York State to raise awareness about PTSD.  During the walk, which was completed in June, Frank stayed in homeless shelters and visited veterans facilities. He documented his encounters and is hoping to turn the footage into a documentary. Frank is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

New York City is home to a variety of alternative art spaces, but perhaps none have a story like this. In the mid-1980’s a group of squatters took over an abandoned building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. They broke in using a sledgehammer and made the place their own, even putting on art shows and plays in the space. They called the location Bullet Space (find out why in this episode of Cityscape). Andrew Castrucci and Alexandra Rojas are artists and residents of Bullet Space. Andrew’s been living there for over thirty years and was one of the original squatters. They recently took Cityscape on a tour of the building, and explained why Bullet Space is far from just another transformed tenement in the concrete jungle.

A lot of people's fondest memories revolve around food, whether it be a birthday dinner with friends or cooking in the kitchen with grandma. Our guests on this week's Cityscape relate to that: Rozanne Gold is a chef, author, journalist, philanthropist, and now a podcast host. Her podcast is called One Woman Kitchen. Each episode features a woman making a unique impact in the culinary world. Priya Krishna is a regular contributor forThe New York Times, Bon Appétit, The New Yorker and others. She’s also the author of a new cookbook called Indianish: Recipes and Antics From a Modern American Family. It’s filled with Indian-American hybrid dishes inspired by her own mother’s cooking.

One could argue that nothing comes close to the quality of grandma’s home cooking. So when you go out to eat, you might miss that authenticity. But, a restaurant on Staten Island says you shouldn’t have to. This week we’re heading to Enoteca Maria, where the chefs are a rotating cast of nonnas.

For generations, the American Museum of Natural History has been wowing visitors with its diverse exhibits, from its vast collection of dinosaur fossils to its Hall of Ocean Life, complete with a blue whale model that hangs from the ceiling. But, how did the museum become the major hub of education, research and innovation we know and love today? Our guest this week is Colin Davey. He’s the author of a new book titled The American Museum of Natural History and How It Got That Way.

Tony Cruz is an award-winning graffiti artist from the Bronx who's working to spread the word about protecting your eyesight. That's because he himself is losing his eyesight everyday from type two macular telangiectasia. Cruz joins us this week to talk about his vision protection awareness campaign.

Thousands of people flock to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx every baseball season to take in a game. Many, of course, will purchase something while there -- a hot dog, a beer, a hat perhaps. On this week's show we’re looking at Yankee Stadium, not from the fan perspective, but from the view of a vendor, and a long-time one at that. Stewart J. Zully began vending at Yankee Stadium when he was just 15 years old, and he continued working there into his 50s. Zully describes his experiences as a vendor in his new book My Life in Yankee Stadium: 40 Years As a Vendor and Other Tales of Growing Up Somewhat Sane in The Bronx.https://www.wfuv.org/cityscape

On this week’s show, we’re stepping out of the comfort of the WFUV studios and into the heart of nature. Yes, even in the concrete jungle, nature is far from elusive. The New York City Parks Department oversees more than 30,000 acres of land in all 5 boroughs, including Central Park. The Urban Park Rangers are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. They came on the scene during a very different time in New York City. They’re mission has evolved, but they still play a critical role in the Big Apple. We're talking with Marc Sanchez, Deputy Director of the Urban Park Rangers, and Rob Mastrianni, an Urban Park Ranger Supervisor Sergeant.

From outdoor movies to outdoor concerts, New York City has a lot to offer in the summertime. Among the ways to experience live performance in the open air is through the City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage Festival. Several parks throughout the five boroughs host concerts (most of them for free) as part of SummerStage, but the series traces its roots to Central Park, where concert goers this summer are in for a whole new experience. That’s because Central Park’s SummerStage concert venue has undergone a five-and-a-half million dollar renovation. We'll check out the revamped SummerStage digs on this week's show. We'll also explore the many statues in Central Park with photographer Catarina Astrom. She’s behind the photos in a new book called The Statues of Central Park.

New York City is taking several steps to reduce its carbon footprint, including proposals to retrofit buildings and make more use of renewable energy. As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, WFUV News Director George Bodarky sits down for a conversation with Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability.

New York City is rich with history -- a lot of which is well-documented in books and museums. But, when Hugh Ryan went on the hunt to find out about Brooklyn’s queer history, he struggled. So he took it upon himself to uncover that past. The result is his book When Brooklyn Was Queer. Hugh joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about it.

In New York City, one out of three children under the age of 18 is growing up without a father. That’s according to the New York City Young Men’s Initiative. And that number climbs to 51 percent for black children and 46 percent for Latino children. The Fatherhood Initiative at Rising Ground in the Bronx is working to turn things around. Nearly 300 fathers have successfully completed the program, which encourages struggling fathers to be more involved with their kids. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with Reginald Mitchell, head of the Fatherhood Initiative at Rising Ground, and D'ron Waldron, a father of four and a graduate of the program.

There’s much more to New York City than meets the eye. But, a lot of us are too consumed looking at our smartphones to take notice of it. Not Stanley Greenberg, however. He’s a Brooklyn-based photographer with a lifelong curiosity about urban infrastructure. Stanley’s published four books, including Invisible New York: The Hidden Infrastructure of the City and Waterworks: A Photographic Journey through New York’s Hidden Water System. His latest project is called Codex New York: Typologies of the City. Stanley Greenberg is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

Can changing your wardrobe change your life? Dawnn Karen thinks so. The New York City-based fashion psychologist is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

If you’ve been to a SoulCycle recently, chances are you’re familiar with this week’s guest on Cityscape. Maybe not by name, but by his lockers. Travis Hollman is the CEO of Dallas-based Hollman Inc, which has designed lockers for SoulCycle and many other clients, from major sports teams to the New York Times. Travis joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about his company’s history and some of its many projects in New York City.

When it comes to transportation in New York City, there are plenty of options. You can drive (if you own a car), hop in a cab, or take the bus or subway. And then if you want to be environmentally friendly, you can bike. Bicycling in New York City has a long, bumpy history. In his book On Bicycles, author Evan Friss takes readers through over 200 years of bicycle history in the Big Apple. Friss is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

A lot of people play the “what will I be game” while growing up. But, things don’t always turn out the way we envision. Just ask celebrity caterer Mary Giuliani. She never set out to be a caterer to the stars, but that’s exactly what happened. Mary Giuliani is an author, party and lifestyle expert, and founder and CEO of Mary Giuliani Catering and Events.  Mary regularly works with A-list clients in the worlds of art, fashion and film. Her latest book is called Tiny Hot Dogs: A Memoir in Small Bites. Mary's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

When it comes to illnesses, outbreaks like Ebola, Zika and now the measles are quick to make headlines. But despite killing tens of thousands of Americans every year, C. diff often fails to gain widespread attention. Brooklyn resident Christian Lillis is working to change that. After his mother died from complications from a C. diff bug, Lillis founded an organization to educate the public and shape policy surrounding health care-associated infections. It’s called the Peggy Lillis Foundation. Christian is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

Before the Manhattan Bridge or the Chrysler or Empire State buildings were built, there was Garber Hardware. The business has been in the same family for five generations. The first store was located at the corner of Horatio Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan’s West Village. In 2003, Garber Hardware moved to Greenwich Street, and has since expanded to a second location in the Chelsea neighborhood. On this week’s Cityscape, we're going inside one of New York City’s longest-running mom and pop businesses.

C.O. Bigelow Apothecary is the oldest apothecary in America. The Greenwich Village pharmacy and shop is run by 3rd generation pharmacist, Ian Ginsberg. Ian works alongside his son Alec who is the 4th generation pharmacist at the New York City locale. C.O. Bigelow’s is a staple of the village, serving many prominent personalities since it was established in 1838. Mark Twain, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Thomas Edison are among some of the original customers. Legend has it Edison burned his fingers while making an early prototype of light bulb and soothed them with balm from Bigelow’s. Cityscape producer Fiona Shea caught up with Ian and Alec Ginsberg, the father-son duo, and talked about what it’s like to run this well-known apothecary today.

Our lives can sometimes feel full of routine -- get up, go to work, go to the gym -- repeat. But what if you hit pause for an entire year to go on a sailing adventure? That’s what one New York City family did. Erik and Emily Orton and their five children set sail in 2014 on a 5,000 mile journey that would take them from the Caribbean back home to Manhattan. They detail their adventure in a new book, Seven At Sea: Why a New York City Family Cast Off Convention for a Life-Changing Year on a Sailboat. Erik and Emily are our guests on this edition of Cityscape.

Lucy Kalantari is a Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, composer, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. Kalantari is the bandleader of Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats. The group received a Grammy this year for best children’s album. All of the Sounds is a collection of jazz-infused songs for kids and families. Being a mother herself, Kalantari is very in touch with how kids interact with music today. We invited her to our studios to to discuss her Grammy, her professional journey, and her life as a New York City mom and musician.

From Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge to the New York Botanical Garden, New York City is home to many places that provide the perfect backdrop for a wedding. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with a wedding officiant and a wedding musician about their roles in helping to create the perfect day for happy couples. We'll also talk with writer John Kenney about life after the "I Do's." Kenney has penned a collection of poems for, well, married people, called Love Poems for Married People.

New York City's identity as a cultural center is drastically changing, that's according to the founder and executive artistic director of 3-Legged Dog Media and Theater Group, Kevin Cunningham. Cunningham has served as a linchpin of Lower Manhattan's art scene for more than 20 years. But, his group is on the move to Brooklyn and to developing a new virtual studio model. Cunningham talks about his group's past and plans for the future on this week's Cityscape.

In a city like New York, pharmacies are a dime a dozen. Duane Reade, Walgreens, and CVS pharmacies dot the blocks of the five boroughs. But if you look a little closer, there are some pharmacies that stand out among the rest. On this week’s Cityscape we step inside Stanley’s Pharmacy, a place that’s very different from your typical medicine shop.

Retired conductor David Dworkin is nearing 85 years old. But, he’s as active as ever, and doing his part to help other older adults remain active as well. Dworkin is the founder of an exercise program called Conductorcise. It’s an aerobic workout, symphonic experience and music history lesson all rolled into one. We recently caught up with Dworkin at a senior living facility in Manhattan to talk with him about his program. Our chat is part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign on healthy aging.

Our homes provide us with comfort unlike anything else. They welcome us after a long day of work. They are where we yearn to be by the end of a vacation or business trip. We personalize them in ways big and small; we make them our own. Home is a familiar space where we find privacy from the outside world. But have you ever considered what it might be like never leave your home? To be unable or unwilling to walk out your front door? In Within These Walls, we'll hear from several individuals who can’t or don’t leave their homes for a variety of reasons. Some have been bound by age or illness, and others by their thoughts. We'll also hear from the people and organizations who pay special attention to homebound populations. Along the way, we’ll explore the relationship between ourselves and our homes, and how it may change when leaving just isn’t an option.  

On any given day Central Park is packed with tourists, runners or people simply out for a walk with their dog. Most people aren’t there to take in fine art. For that, they’re more likely to visit the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art or one of the other great cultural institutions in Manhattan. But, in many ways, Central Park is in itself an outdoor museum. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with photographer Catarina Astrom. She’s behind the photos in a new book called The Statues of Central Park.

When it comes to snowmen, most of us are familiar with the likes of Frosty and Olaf from the Disney film Frozen, but snowmen have a history that extends well beyond the creation of these animated figures. Bob Eckstein is an award winning illustrator, writer, New Yorker cartoonist, the author of the New York Times best-selling Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores, and snowman expert. In his book, The Illustrated History of the Snowman, Eckstein reveals the ancient origins of the snowman and its contemporary evolution. Bob Eckstein is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

In her novel Flying Jenny, Author Theasa Tuohy tells the story of barnstorming pilots who thrilled the public with their daring feats in cities large and small in the 1920s. Flying Jenny follows fictional character Jenny Flynn. She’s a 17-year-old pilot who’s based on real-life pilot Elinor Smith. While not as well known as Amelia Earhart is today, Smith did an amazing thing in October of 1928. She flew her plane under New York City’s four East River bridges. Theasa Tuohy joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk more about that story and her novel Flying Jenny.  

Betram L. Baker was the first black person elected to public office in Brooklyn. In 1948, Baker was tapped to represent Bedford Stuyvesant in the New York State Legislature. Baker broke racial stereotypes surrounding the Democratic Party at the time, pushed for equality in housing, and even widened opportunities for black athletes to play professional tennis. His grandson Ron Howell tells Baker's story in the biography Boss of Black Brooklyn, The Life and Times of Betram L. Baker. Cityscape producer Caroline Rotante talks with Howell on this week's Cityscape.

Every day thousands of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge. But, how much does anyone traversing the span know about its history? Photographer and author Barbara Mensch has lived alongside the Brooklyn Bridge for more than three decades. But, over time, she wanted to do more than simply take photos of the legendary structure. She wanted to dig into the minds and lives of those who built it. The result is her new book In The Shadow of Genius: The Brooklyn Bridge and its Creators. Barbara is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

From Sex and the City to Friends to When Harry Met Sally, New York City has been the backdrop for some of the most memorable and influential television shows and movies in history. Our guest on this week's Cityscape is Georgette Blau, the founder of On Location Tours. It's one of the world's largest TV and movie tour companies. Blau hatched the idea for her company after realizing she lived near the "deluxe" high rise apartment building of one of television's class couples, George and Louise Jefferson.

New York City is layered in history. It’s a history that fascinated the patriarch of one of New York City’s most prominent real estate families. Seymour B. Durst amassed a huge collection of New York memorabilia that was used to create a new book called New York Rising. It explores the development of the city from the 17th century to the skyscraper age. The editors of New York Rising, Kate Ascher and Thomas Mellins, are our guests on this week's Cityscape.

Battling violence in our communities might not be so different than combating an infectious disease. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with two Bronx doctors who are involved with efforts to reduce gun-related injuries.

For anyone who has never experienced bias or prejudice, it might be hard to understand the true meaning of stigma. On this week’s Cityscape, we get an inside view of what it's like to live on the other side of stigma, and hear about efforts to break stereotypes about physical and mental differences.

In a city like New York, pizza is not hard to come by. But, over the past decade, two cousins have been making a big name for themselves in the competitive pizza scene here. Francis Garcia and Sal Basille are pretty much building a pizza empire one slice at a time. The cousins left the family business on Staten Island to open their own pizza shop in Manhattan in 2008. Since establishing Artichoke Basille Pizza in a tiny space in the East Village, Garcia and Basille have opened 13 other eateries and they continue to expand. Garcia and Basille literally grew up in the restaurant industry, from their great grandparents down, family members have owned everything from sandwich shops to bakeries to restaurants and pizzerias. The charismatic cousins have not only kept that traditional alive, they’ve taken it several steps further. They’re now franchising. And they’ve even starred in TV shows – one appropriately called Pizza Cuz. We recently caught up with Garcia and Basille at Artichoke Pizza on 10th Avenue in Manhattan. We shared a slice and then slipped next door to their specialty coffee shop, Frankie Portugal, where we sat down for a chat.

For a lot of people the holidays are the most magical time of the year, and one could argue that there’s no other place more magical than New York City during this time. From the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree to the elaborate window displays at stores like Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, the city is bursting with holiday spirit. Photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff captures the distinctive and unexpected ways Christmastime is celebrated in the city in her new book 'Tis the Season New York. Betsy spent the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve photographing all five boroughs. Her book includes over 160 pages of photographs taken mostly at night. Some of the locations are extremely recognizable, while others are a little less traveled by. This week, we sit down with Betsy to hear all about her project.

When it comes to comedy in New York City, Gotham Comedy Club is about as elite for comedians as Lincoln Center is for ballet dancers. But not everyone that gets to grace Gotham’s stage is a celebrity, or even old enough to vote. On this week's Cityscape, we're checking out Kids ‘N Comedy, a program that teaches young people how to write and perform stand-up comedy. The classes are held at Gotham Comedy Club, and participants go on to perform sketches there before a live audience.

In today’s world where we can access our offices and apartments by simply typing a code into a keypad or swiping or tapping a card, a keychain full of keys is quickly becoming a relic of a bygone era. But, in New York’s Greenwich Village, one key-related establishment is still going strong. On this week’s Cityscape, locks and keys, including a visit to Greenwich Locksmiths and a chat with the curator of the Lock Museum of America.

In times of trouble or uncertainty, a lot of us turn to outside support for help -- a psychologist, a pastor, or maybe even a psychic. But what happens when a fortune teller costs you a fortune? Our latest episode explores that question.

In a digital era where you can quickly google search pretty much any recipe, the idea of flipping through a cookbook for inspiration in the kitchen may feel antiquated. But, for Bonnie Slotnik and many others, cookbooks are far from obsolete and offer much more than just recipes. Slotnik owns a vintage cookbook shop in the East Village of New York City. She moved to 28 East Second Street after being priced out. When you walk into Bonnie’s shop, it’s like stepping back in time to an internet-free world. Her store is filled to the brim with vintage cookbooks from around the globe. We recently sat down with Bonnie to talk about her history and love of cookbooks.

Inclusivity and understanding are the pathways to accepting and getting to know the people around us. This fall, WFUV's Strike A Chord Campaign is focusing its attention on autism acceptance. Listen to this special panel discussion produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television featuring: Amanda Friedman, the founder and executive director of the Atlas Foundation for Autism. The organization is dedicated to improving educational opportunities for autistic individuals through after-school, therapeutic, and other scholastic programs. Michele Sanchez-Stierheim, the founder and executive director of Spectrum Warriors, Inc. Spectrum Warriors helps families with autistic members who feel isolated to become a part of their community again. Florencio Flores Palomo, the founder and executive director of REACH Swim Academy. REACH offers swim lessons to autistic kids, giving them a safe space to socialize in small groups and get some exercise.

New York City can be a photographer's paradise. There's no shortage of people or places to capture in a photo, from the Flatiron Building to straphangers waiting on the platform for the A train. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with two New York City-based photographers who capture their own unique perspectives of the Big Apple. Larry Racioppo is out with a new book called Brooklyn Before: Photographs, 1971-1983 and Herb Bardavid focuses on the city's elderly population in his project "Getting Old and Getting Out in New York City."

It’s been called the "miracle of World War II." This month marks the 75th anniversary of the rescue of more than 7,000 Danish Jews from holocaust. It was a heroic example of neighbors helping neighbors. The scholarship fund, Thanks to Scandinavia, recognizes the ordinary people who performed extraordinary acts in Scandinavia and Bulgaria during World War II to save the lives of their Jewish neighbors. Joining us this week to talk about this often untold story is Thanks to Scandinavia Executive Director Kelly Ramot and Denmark’s Consul General in New York, Ambassador Anne Dorte Riggelsen.

What does the word, “laser” bring to mind? An iconic spy movie, perhaps? In actuality, lasers aren’t just this glamorized phenomenon we’ve seen in movies like Mission Impossible and Star Wars. In New York City you can get up close and personal with lasers with the help of a man known as “Dr. Laser.”  Dr. Laser’s not going to fix your broken bones with powerful rays. What he is going to do is show you around the Holographic Studios, his laboratory for creating three dimensional images on East 26th Street in Manhattan. Dr. Laser combines art and technology to produce captivating installations. He showed Cityscape around his studio, and introduced us to his life of holography.

Restaurants come and go all the time in New York City. But Neary's, located in the Turtle Bay area of Manhattan, has stood the test of time. The classic Irish pub has been around for more than 50 years, and has served everyone from astronauts to presidents.  On this week's Cityscape, Julia Seebode interviews Irish immigrant and restaurant owner, Jimmy Neary. Jimmy shares his American Dream story - one that began a long time ago in County Sligo, Ireland.

Believe it or not, tattooing as we know it today has only been legal in New York City since 1997. On this week's Cityscape, we're delving into the past and present of tattoo culture in New York City.

When you look up the definition of masculinity, you get a short, simple definition -- “possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men.” But, what does that really mean? Author and journalist Thomas Page McBee works to answer that question in his new book Amateur- A True Story About What Makes a Man. The book follows McBee, a trans man, as he trains to fight in a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the relationship between masculinity and violence. Through his boxing training, McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes, and the limitations of conventional manhood. McBee is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

Some historians travel far and wide to uncover the fascinating stories that our ancestors have left behind. But, for author Richard Panchyk, the fascinating stories he wanted to share weren’t so far at all. A proud native of Elmhurst, Queens, Panchyk had always been interested in the borough he called home. On this week's Cityscape, we talk with Richard about his new book, Hidden History of Queens. Richard discovered many complex narratives that still run through the veins of his beloved borough. He shares that many authentic structures and locations are eager to share their rich stories, if you’re willing to take a deeper look. From rare Newtown Pippin apples to old Revolutionary War buildings, we learn that Queens has a lot to reveal about the people who once inhabited New York City’s largest borough.

The date September 11 will forever evoke recollections of unimaginable tragedy. Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks on that date in 2001. Psychotherapist Edy Nathan was called upon on 9/11 to tend to the emotional well-being of first responders at the site of the terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan, known at the time as ground zero. Edy joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about the grief and trauma of 9/11 and how that reverberates in our lives 17 years later. Her newly published book is called It’s Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery Through Trauma and Loss.

Labor Day weekend is upon us and for a lot of people you know what that means – barbecues with enough food to make your belt buckle burst. Our guest this week knows the struggles of maintaining a healthy waist size all too well. It took Mary Prenon 19 years to achieve her goal of losing 50 pounds. Mary is a former journalist. She now works as the communications director for a Realtor association in New York’s Hudson Valley. Mary has penned a book about her weight loss journey. It’s called I’m Lazy and I Love to Eat.

In a city like New York, you can't walk an inch without encountering one of these -- a bold little feathered creature that'll either stare you down or snatch a piece of the bagel you dropped. On this week's Cityscape, why pigeons deserve more than to be called rats with wings.

At major league baseball games, there are lots of opportunities to interact with the high-energy action. Cheering, doing the wave, getting on the jumbotron, and attempting to catch foul balls have become the standard for fans across the country. New York City resident Zack Hample has made a name for himself as a ball catching phenomenon. Since the age of 12, Zack has accumulated over 10,000 baseballs from major league games in North America. His ball collection not only exceeds that of any other baseball fan in history, but it celebrates many prominent baseball moments. He caught the Mets’ last home run at Shea Stadium in 2008, Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th career hit in 2015, and Zack snagged the Reds infielder Alex Blandino’s first career home run in May of this year. We caught up with Zack in Riverside Park to learn more about how his childhood hobby of catching foul balls grew to become the famed career he holds today.

Harlem, like most New York City neighborhoods, has seen a lot of change in the last few decades. Burned-out buildings and vacant lots have given way to luxury developments and trendy eateries. But, a new book affords viewers a look at Harlem before the effects of gentrification. It’s called Once in Harlem, and is the work of Japanese-American photographer, Katsu Naito. Katsu is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, a Bronx filmmaker is working to shine a spotlight on her native Puerto Rico. Known for her stop-motion work, Alba Garcia has turned to live puppetry to focus in on Puerto Rico’s indigenous past. Her upcoming film seeks to revive Taino culture, and create awareness of the devastating impact Hurricane Maria has had on Puerto Rico. Alba Garcia is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

New York City is chock full of history. You literally can even find it tucked away in cracks and crevices. Enter The Tenement Museum on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Historians amassed a diverse collection of historic trash in the making of the museum. They found everything from old perfume bottles to doll heads to tins of aspirin as they worked to convert two historic tenement buildings into a place to tell the story of immigrant life in the 19th and 20th centuries. On this week’s show, a look inside the Tenement Museum’s archive of antique garbage and cast-offs.

In a city known for its cool and unusual places, even the Wild Bird Fund might surprise. It's basically a hospital for sick and injured birds on Manhattan's upper West Side. From pigeons to ducks to owls, the Wild Bird Fund treats all kinds of feathered patients. On this week's Cityscape, we're heading inside New York City's hospital for wild birds.

When it comes to luxury living, there’s no shortage of it in New York City. From penthouses with panoramic views of Manhattan to townhouses with historic architectural elements, the city has a plethora of draw-dropping properties to call home. That is if you have the bank account to match. On this week’s show we’re getting an inside view of New York City’s luxury real estate market. Our guests are Manhattan real estate agents Augusto Bittencourt and Jared Barnett.

From disposable coffee cups to worn-out kitchen cabinets to leftover meatloaf, a lot of what many of us throw out each day adds up to a whole lot of landfill. This Spring, WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign is focusing its attention on reducing waste. Join us for a special panel discussion, produced in conjunction with BronxNet TV, exploring efforts to cut down on what ends up in our waste stream.

New York City is comprised of a lot of concrete and steel, but throughout this great metropolis is a whole lot of green. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re visiting two draw-dropping green spaces – The Lotus Garden on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and Brooklyn Grange. The Lotus Garden is located 20 feet above West 97th Street, on the roof of a parking garage. The New York Times has called it “one of the most lush and tranquil spots in New York.” Brooklyn Grange is a sprawling urban farm atop a former warehouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

From over easy to scrambled to poached to sunny side-up, there are many ways to cook an egg. On this week's Cityscape, we’re serving up an episode focused on eggs, from an egg-themed pop up exhibit on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, to a company that rents chickens so you can have your own freshly laid eggs, to an executive chef who’s putting a modern spin on the classic breakfast egg sandwich.

This summer, for the first time in history, Fiddler on the Roof will be performed in Yiddish in the United States. And that performance will take place in New York City. The National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene is presenting the show at the Museum of Jewish Heritage starting July 4. Our guest this week is Folksbiene CEO Christopher Massimine. We'll also hear from Kolya Borodulin, Director of Yiddish Programming for The Workmen's Circle.  

Nails are a big business in a city like New York. You can’t walk a block without seeing a place to get a manicure or a pedicure. But the industry has come under fire in recent years. On this week’s Cityscape we’re catching up with New York Times staff reporter Sarah Nir, who three years ago, uncovered big problems in the nail salon industry. Her expose shined a light on labor violations and poor health conditions that led to significant change. We'll also bring you other nail salon-related segments.

Philadelphia and Boston often hog the limelight when it comes to Revolutionary War history, but New York City also played a significant role during that era. Our guest this week is Karen Quinones. She brings history to life as the owner and historian of Patriot Tours. Karen joins us to talk about New York City's Revolutionary past, including her new walking tour that explores the role espionage played during that time period.

Growing up isn’t always easy. But, if you’re lucky enough, someone -- a coach, a teacher, a parent, will help you along the way. Our guest this week is Dr. Arthur Langer. He’s the founder of Workforce Opportunity Services, a non-profit organization that works to develop the skills of untapped talent from underserved and veteran communities. Art knows full well the importance of a little support and encouragement from his own experiences as a kid growing up in the Bronx.

In a city that is ever changing, some things have managed to stay the same. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re focusing on two New York City family businesses that have stood the test of time. The Goldberger Doll Company and Moscot Eyewear have both been in business for more than a century.

From the newfound avocado addiction to the cronut craze, New Yorkers are constantly snapping pictures of their food to post on social media sites. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are full of recipe ideas and perfectly captured table settings. For some people, going out to eat has become less about the food, and more about the spectacle and aesthetic value of the meal. On this week's Cityscape, how social media is impacting the New York City food scene.

David Spampinato, Devin Clementi, and Emmanuel Berbari discuss the Mets hot start. Will this last? Is this team for real? They give their takes on the Yankees recent struggles and how the rotation will hold up and whether or not Giancarlo Stanton's struggles will continue. They finish up discussing Shohei Otani's first bump in the road against the red hot Boston Red Sox. 

For a lot of people, New York City is a place where dreams come true, but for some being in the Big Apple can be a nightmare. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re shedding light on human trafficking. According to the International Labour Organization, 24.9 million people are victims of forced labor, which includes forced sexual exploitation.

When it comes to the most famous clocks in the world, the one at Elizabeth Tower in London, commonly referred to as “Big Ben,” usually tops the list. But New York City is also home to historic clocks of note. On this week's Cityscape, we’re talking with the folks behind an organization called Save America’s Clocks. The non-profit is dedicated to the preservation and maintenance of all of America's public clocks. Here in New York, the group has been in a long standing battle to protect a 19th century clock atop 346 Broadway in Manhattan.

When thinking back to American history class, you might recall discussing the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War and the civil rights movement. At an early age, kids learn about the lives and stories of figures like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., but what about other events and influential figures in American history, specifically those involving the LGBTQ community? On this week's Cityscape, how one organization is working to train teachers to bring LGBTQ history into U.S. classrooms. We'll also talk with the creator and host of the Making Gay History podcast.

You can’t go a block in a city like New York without seeing someone walking a dog. Dogs are a big part of many people’s lives and families. So much so the city is now home to a cafe that’s literally gone to the dogs. This week's Cityscape is all about our canine companions, from a visit to New York City's first dog-friendly cafe to a breakdown of every dog registration in the city.

Just in time for the start of spring a new book is out focusing on New York City’s public gardens. It’s called City Green: Public Gardens of New York. Our guest this week is the author of City Green, Jane Garmey. Her book takes us on a tour of a wide variety of green spaces in New York City, from pocket gardens to more expansive ones.

New York City is constantly evolving. Businesses open and close. New buildings go up and old ones come down. But, if you look closely enough, in the midst of all this change, you’ll find remnants of the past. On this week's Cityscape, we'll hear how a Brooklyn-based photographer has found reflections of old New York at flea markets and other venues. Ray Simone joins us to talk about what he’s uncovered through retouching and restoring original camera negatives. We'll also talk with Ben Passikoff, author of The Writing on the Wall: Rediscovering New York City's "Ghost Signs". His book gives us a glimpse into the New York City of yesteryear through advertisements painted across the facades of buildings, some that date back more than 90 years.  

From becoming a foster parent to simply being a mentor, there are many ways to help foster children in need. Kids in foster care face a variety of challenges, especially older kids who face "aging out" of the system without knowing what they're next step will be. As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, we're teaming up with BronxNet TV, to present a special panel discussion on issues facing kids in foster care.

New Yorkers are known for pounding the pavement to get what they want. But, you can't pound the pavement without a good pair of shoes. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking to shoemakers and cobblers, including the third-generation owner of Jim's Shoe Repair in midtown Manhattan

In today’s digital age, dolls might not be the flashiest toy on the market, but they still hold a place in the hearts of kids and adult collectors alike. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re pushing Barbie aside, to focus on other dolls and their makers, including Robert Tonner, who’s company developed what’s said to be the world’s first transgender doll. We're also talking with a Bronx artist who's celebrated for doll creations that are more Tim Burton than Walt Disney.

If you spend any time in New York City, you no doubt have heard some Yiddish spoken on the street, or at least in the bagel shop. You may have heard someone say “I’ll take a bagel with a schmear,” for instance. On this week's Cityscape, we’re schmoozing with a couple of people with a rich knowledge of Yiddish language and culture: Kolya Borodulin, Director of Yiddish Programming for The Workmen's Circle and Edna Nahshon, Professor of Theater and Drama at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Nahshon is also the editor and author of several articles and books, including New York’s Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway.

When Coss Marte went to prison in 2009, he was faced with not one, but two big challenges: lose weight and discover a legitimate career upon release. Luckily for him, overcoming the first obstacle helped him find the answer to the other. Marte, a former drug kingpin, is now helping others get into shape through his fitness company -- ConBody. ConBody markets a "prison style" boot camp based on Marte’s former prison workout routine. Ironically, his studio is located in the very same neighborhood on Manhattan’s Lower East Side where he used to sell drugs. In addition to running his fitness studio, Marte is now out with a new book called ConBody: The Revolutionary Bodyweight Prison Boot Camp, Born from an Extraordinary Story of Hope. Marte is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

Joe’s Pub in Manhattan is preparing to host a one-person show from NYC-based trans actor Becca Blackwell. They, Themself and Schmerm deals with sexuality, gender, family, identity and child abuse, all in what’s described as “laugh-out-loud fashion." Blackwell shares their personal story that led to the show's creation on this week’s Cityscape.

Rentals aren’t just for groomsmen in need of a tux or a parent who wants a cotton candy machine for a kid’s birthday party. In today’s day and age, you can pretty much rent anything, including paparazzi. On this week’s Cityscape we’re exploring things you can rent – from paparazzi to bridesmaids to chickens. That’s right chickens!

The world is chock full of hidden attractions, cool sights and unusual things, and if you know where to look, you'll find some of those wondrous discoveries in New York City. On this week's Cityscape, we'll pay a visit to a venue in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan that takes a page from ancient European catacombs. We'll also visit a cabinet of curiosities on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Obscura Antiques and Oddities at 207 Avenue A sells a wide variety of weird wares.

Is there is a doctor in the house? Well, that might be uncertain. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. will face a significant shortage of doctors in the next decade. Many of them, primary care physicians. Our guest this week is Neal Simon. He’s the president and co-founder of the American University of Antigua College of Medicine. Neal has made it his mission to help increase the supply of primary care doctors and break down the barriers that present underrepresented minorities from pursuing a career in medicine. Many of his school's graduates are working in the tri-state area.http://www.wfuv.org/cityscape

From Facebook to Instagram to Pinterest, social media sites are chock full of images and videos of cats. For a lot of people, their feline companions are their best friends, as independent as they may be. On this week’s Cityscape, how one New York City non-profit works to find homeless cats and kittens permanent, loving homes. Also, the story of how a lost cat re-defined life for a homeless man in Portland, Oregon. We'll talk with Britt Collins, author of Strays: A Lost Cat, A Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America.

The Bronx is booming with development. New housing projects are sprouting up across the borough. But, in the midst of this change, you'll find remnants of the past that have stood the test of time. On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring two of the most historic homes in the Bronx -- the Van Cortlandt House and Poe Cottage.

Classrooms today look a lot different than they did even just 10 years ago. Smart boards have replaced chalkboards, and kids are more likely to use computers than spiral notebooks to take notes. Yet the importance of those in front of the classroom has remained constant. On this week's Cityscape, we're sitting down with Lynette Guastaferro, executive director of Teaching Matters. The organization works to make sure teachers in New York City public schools have the skills and tools they need to succeed in the classroom and drive school-wide improvement.

Every year more than 44,000 Americans die by suicide. On average, that's 121 suicides a day. That's according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. On this week's Cityscape, we're focusing in on efforts to prevent suicide.

Drug addiction can tear families apart. And it's something that knows no boundaries. The disease has reached epidemic levels across the United States. Join us for a special panel discussion on the issue produced at BronxNet Television, including: Doctor Melissa Stein, medical director of Montefiore's Division of Subtance Abuse Blain Namm with the non-profit organization Road Recovery Eve Goldberg, the founder of Big Vision Foundation

For people getting out of prison, the road to stability can be a daunting one. When you have a criminal record, it can be especially challenging to find a job. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with the folks behind A Secon "U" Foundation. They work to help the formerly incarcerated find employment in the fitness industry.

Music is much more than a form of entertainment. It can help people through a variety of life's challenges, including physical and mental illness. But, it can also have an impact in the classroom. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with the folks behind Education Through Music, a program that works with inner city schools in New York City.

“Everything is beautiful at the ballet." At least that’s what they say in the Broadway musical, A Chorus Line. On this week’s Cityscape, we chassé into the world of ballet. We’ll be talking with Mary Helen Bowers, a former New York City Ballet dancer turned fitness guru who founded the Ballet Beautiful program. We're also talking with Marc Happel, the director of the New York City Ballet costume shop. 

For some, the end of daylight saving time doesn't require a lot of attention. Their smartphone or computer automatically rolls back the time. But, for others, it requires a manual rewind. On this week's Cityscape, we're being mindful of the time -- the time kept on wrists, and the time kept in pockets, although that's much less common in today's digital age. Our guest is Nicholas Manousos, president of the Horological Society of New York and co-founder of Firehouse Horology.

New York City is layered in history. Behind every brownstone, or gravestone for that matter, is a story. A story about lives lived and lost, some tragically or under other macabre circumstances. That’s where Andrea James comes in. Andrea is the founder of Boroughs of the Dead Macabre: New York City Walking Tours. She knows all about the horror and scandals that haunt New York City’s past. Just in time for Halloween, Andrea is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

In a place that appears larger than life, it’s hard to imagine New York City could ever be shrunken down. But, perhaps you haven’t yet paid a visit to Gulliver’s Gate.  The exhibition brings the entire planet, including the Big Apple, to West 44th Street in miniature form. On this week’s show we’re talking with Jason Hackett, the Chief Marketing Officer of Gulliver’s Gate. We’ll also meet a man who spends his life in a land of miniatures.  Darren Thomas Scala is the owner of D. Thomas Fine Miniatures. He has great enthusiasm for and deep knowledge of miniature arts.

The United Nations General Assembly wrapped up its 72nd annual general debate late last month. Many New Yorkers are familiar with the annual event, if for no other reason, because it causes week-long traffic tie-ups. But, the UN and New York City have a long history together, one that involves much more than congested roadways. Our guest this week is Pamela Hanlon. She’s the author of A Wordly Affair: New York, the United Nations and the Story Behind Their Unlikely Bond.

What do legendary jazz musician Duke Ellington, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Herman Melville have in common? They’re all buried in the same Bronx cemetery. Where did we get that fun fact? From a man with encyclopedic knowledge of the Bronx. Llyod Ultan is the Bronx Borough historian. He's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

A museum in Brooklyn is trying to fill a void when it comes to telling the story of the Holocaust. Instead of focusing on death, the Amud Aish Memorial Museum places an emphasis on Jewish religious life. On this week's Cityscape we're joined by the museum's Director of Research and Archives, Rabbi Dovid Reidel. He'll tell us about how his family history informed his career, and the new information the museum is bringing to light.

When it comes to wild animals, chances are a lot of people don’t associate them with cities like New York. That is unless you count pigeons, rats and squirrels. But, look closer and you’ll discover a wide variety of untamed creatures in the Big Apple, from coyotes to opossums to skunks. On this week’s Cityscape, we’ll talk with a woman who helps to rehabilitate injured, sick and orphaned wild animals in the city. Also this week, New York City is home to tens of thousands of feral and stray cats. The New York City Feral Cat Initiative works to reduce the population with an approach known as TNR – trap, neuter, return. We'll talk with the group's director of TNR Education.

If you’re in the mood for sausage and peppers or a cannoli, there’s no better time to be in New York City. The San Gennaro Feast has taken over the streets of Manhattan’s Little Italy. The annual event has a long history in the neighborhood. In fact, it’s now in its 91st year. The San Gennaro festival runs through September 24th. On this week's Cityscape we're delving into the history of Little Italy and the San Gennaro Feast.

Tracing your family history is as simple as ever thanks to genealogy websites and DNA ancestry test kits. For Brooklyn resident Andrew Van Dusen, the roots of his family tree were uncovered through a middle school class project. Van Dusen discovered that he was a 12th generation descendant of one of Manhattan’s first few hundred settlers. He's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

If you’re headed to a Labor Day weekend gathering, chances are someone will be serving hot dogs. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs a year. The Council says over a third of hot dogs are consumed between Memorial Day and Labor Day. As peak hot dog eating season comes to an end, we bring you an episode devoted to the hot dog, or as it was sometimes referred to in the 1920s, the frankfurter sandwich.

With the summer quickly coming to a close, a lot of folks are looking to squeeze in at least one more trip to the beach. New York City is home to some pretty nice beach destinations. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re taking in the sand, surf, history and culture of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. If you’re unfamiliar with Brighton Beach chances are you know its neighbor, Coney Island. But, like Coney, Brighton Beach also has distinct character all its own, and is often referred to as “Little Russia” for its large population of Russian immigrants.  

Just in time for the back-to-school season, a new novel is out about the trials and tribulations of being the class mom. The book is actually titled Class Mom. On this week's Cityscape, author Laurie Gelman joins us to talk about what inspired her to write a novel about a year in the life of a kindergarten class mom. Laurie is married to Michael Gelman, executive producer of “Live! With Kelly and Ryan." She has two kids and lives in Manhattan. We'll also hear a touching tale of motherhood from Meredith Fein Lichtenberg,  a board certified lactation consultant, parenting educator and non-fiction writer in Manhattan.

It’s a common scene in New York City – people hurrying down the sidewalk, many staring at their smartphones. But, while they’re looking down, architect Robert Arthur King is looking up. King specifically likes to take photographs of decorative stone carvings on the facades of buildings – faces, animal figures, flowers. These are sculptures mostly created by anonymous artisans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  King’s photographs of these sculptures are featured in 3 books – Faces in Stone, Animals in Stone and his latest, Figures in Stone. King is our guest on this week's Cityscape, along with New York City stone carver, Chris Pellettieri.

New York City is a place of endless discoveries. But, sometimes it’s nice to escape the concrete jungle for greener pastures. On this week’s show, we’re heading north – roughly 30 miles north of Manhattan to be exact. We're visiting Kykuit, otherwise known as the John D. Rockefeller Estate in Sleepy Hollow. Its views are spectacular and its history is rich. We talked with two individuals with great knowledge of and appreciation for the property: Kykuit’s Curator Cynthia Altman and Larry Lederman, a photographer who’s out with a new book featuring magnificent images of the estate. It’s called The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy.      

You might not be familiar with his name, but you may have marveled at one of the many projects he’s been involved with. Leslie Earl Robertson is an American engineer who helped to create some of the most innovative and daring buildings of the modern era. Robertson was the lead structural engineer of the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.  He worked on that project with architect Minoru Yamasaki. Yamasaki was just one of many internationally renowned architects Robertson got to work with. Robertson writes about his storied career in a new book called The Structure of Design: An Engineer’s Extraordinary Life in Architecture. He joins us in the studio this week to talk about it.

New York City wants to close Rikers Island within the next 10 years. The plan involves an effort to reduce the inmate population so the city can open small jails to replace the massive complex. One way the city is looking to reduce recidivism is through a "jails to jobs" initiative. But, getting a job isn’t always easy for someone who has spent time behind bars. Employers can be reluctant to hire someone with a criminal record. And ex-offenders with visible tattoos can face an especially hard time securing work. Enter Dr. David Ores who practices on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He runs a program that removes visible gang and prison tattoos for free. On this week's Cityscape, we talk with Dr. Ores about his Fresh Start initiative, as well as with Stanley Richards, Executive Vice President of the Fortune Society.

Studies show that healthy children get better grades, attend school more often and behave better in class. But, many kids face unique barriers to health. We delve into the issue as part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign with a distinguished panel of experts: Doctor Peter Sherman, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. Doctor Jessica Rieder, Founder and Director of the Bronx Nutrition and Fitness Initiative for Teens (B’N Fit). It's a joint venture between the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center. Bill Telepan, Executive Chef of Wellenss in the Schools.

New York City is made up of several islands. The big ones, like Manhattan and Staten Island, need no introduction. Even some of the smaller ones have significant name recognition, like Coney Island and City Island. But, how much do you know about the islands not accessible to the general public? On this week's Cityscape we're exploring a couple of mysterious islands in New York City -- Hart Island and North Brother Island.

I scream, you scream, we all scream, for ice cream -- especially at this time of year. After all, what better way to keep cool than with a vanilla cone or whatever flavor suits your fancy? New York City is home to a wide variety of ice cream shops, including a brand new one that’s serving up frozen treats to the 21 and over crowd. On this week's Cityscape, we're visiting Tipsy Scoop and other hot spots for frozen treats in New York City.

Being a 20-something can be exciting. It’s a time in your life when you’re often presented with great opportunities and once in a lifetime adventures. But, what happens when life throws you a major curveball? Our guest this week is Suleika Jaouad. She’s a writer, advocate, public speaker and cancer survivor. Suleika was 22 when she learned she had leukemia. She went on to write about her experiences with cancer in a New York Times column titled Life Interrupted, as well as in other publications.

The name Norman Bel Geddes is not as commonly known as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell or Henry Ford. But, Bel Geddes’ designs are reflected in everything from cocktail shakers to radios to kitchen appliances. Bel Geddes may be best known for the massive Futurama exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair in Queens. Alex Szerlip is the author of a new biography of the iconic designer and inventor. It’s called The Man Who Designed the Future: Norman Bel Geddes and the Invention of 20th Century America. Alex is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

New York is one of the most the most photographed cities in the world. Amateur and professional photographers alike have long found inspiration in the Big Apple. On this week's Cityscape, we're focusing in on two great photographers in New York City history -- Alice Austen and Todd Webb. Austen was one of the nation’s earliest and most prolific female photographers, and Webb has been called the best mid-century photographer you've never heard of. That’s because he’s not nearly as well known as some of his predecessors and contemporaries, like Edward Weston and Berneice Abbott. A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York aims to change that. It’s called “A City Seen: Todd Webb’s Postwar New York 1945-1960.”

Food has the power to do much more than nourish our bodies. Just the taste of a certain dish can conjure up vivid memories of people and places in our past. Our guest this week is Peter Gethers. He’s an author, screenwriter, playwright, book editor and film and television producer. His latest book pays tribute to his mom, Judy Gethers, who was a celebrated cook and cookbook writer. It’s called My Mother’s Kitchen: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and the Meaning of Life.

Imagine going undercover as a New York City taxi driver. What stories might emerge from your back seat? Our guest this week is French producer and filmmaker Benoit Cohen. Benoit spent months driving a cab to help him research his next movie. Not only is that film now in the works, his experiences behind the wheel of a taxi also spawned a book called Yellow Cab.

The Mohegan Indians knew it as Aquehung or "River of High Bluffs." We know it as the Bronx River. The roughly 24-mile river runs deep with history, a history that includes a whole lot of pollution. On this week's Cityscape we're talking with Maggie Scott Greenfield, the Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance. The organization is committed to protecting, improving and restoring the Bronx River corridor.

The American theater has a rich history that stretches from it origins in vaudeville to today’s hit musical Hamilton, with a score rooted in Hip-Hop and Rap. This week, we’re exploring the evolution of American culture -- how we went from a time where sideshow acts were seen alongside fine art, to the emergence of orchestras and art museums, to now, when a gala at the Met is attended by celebrity icons like Beyonce and the Kardashians. *** Note -- Cityscape producer Zach Zalis is sitting in for George Bodarky as host.

What do names like Ben Franklin, J.P. Morgan, Martha Stewart and Steve Jobs all have in common? They’re all among the greatest entrepreneurs of all time. They’re people who had the courage, determination and belief in themselves to pursue a dream, to overcome challenges, and nurture ideas to fruition. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re exploring what it means to be an entrepreneur. Our guest is Kevin Siskar. He's the Managing Director of the Founder Institute in New York and host of the Ambition Today Podcast.

For generations, kids, mainly little boys, have played with little green soldiers. Go into any dollar store and you’re bound to find a bag of them for sale. But, among today’s video game-obsessed youth, are toy soldiers still relevant? The answer is a resounding yes if you ask Jamie Delson. He's the founder and owner of The Toy Soldier Company, based right across the Hudson River from Manhattan, in Jersey City. Delson talks about his passion for toy soldiers and his business selling them on this week's Cityscape. We'll also head to Manhattan’s Lower East Side to visit another toy company. Well, sort of. The Lower East Side Toy Company is actually a front for a modern-day speakeasy called the Backroom.

If you’re a regular listener of Cityscape you know we don’t settle for the status quo. We aim to uncover hidden attractions and unique things to see, do and, sometimes eat in New York City. On this week's Cityscape, we're hitting up a Mexican restaurant on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that doesn’t just serve up your typical burrito and taco. The Black Ant incorporates insects, namely grasshoppers and ants, into nearly every aspect of the menu. We're also talking with Atlas Obscura Associate Editor Ella Morton about unusual things to do in New York City. And the New York Botanical Garden might not be the most obscure destination in New York City, but it is the go-to place if you want to explore unique plants and flowers.  In fact, the NYBG is right now wowing visitors with a display of rare and exotic orchids. In this episode, you'll hear from the man behind the garden’s 15th annual orchid show, which has a Thailand theme.

To some they’re works of art or a unique form of expression -- to others they’re an abomination. We're talking about tattoos. A new exhibit at the New York Historical Society explores 300 years of tattooing in New York City. It’s called Tattooed New York. The exhibit traces tattooing from its roots in Native American body art to its embrace by sailors, soldiers and circus sideshow performers, through its place in mainstream culture today. Cityscape host George Bodarky recently walked through the exhibit with curator Cristian Petru Panaite.

This month marks the 143rd birthday of Harry Houdini. Houdini was born on March 24th,1874 as Erik Weisz in Budapest. But, eventually the legendary magician made his way to New York City, where he honed his craft of illusion and wowed audiences with death-defying escape acts and near-impossible stunts. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re tapping into the magic of Harry Houdini with a visit to the Houdini Museum of New York. It’s located within the headquarters of Fantasma Magic, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of magic tricks. We're also talking with a great nephew of Harry Houdini.

Coping with the loss of someone or something you love can be one of life’s biggest challenges. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. You can be hit with a wave of unexpected emotions, from shock and anger to guilt and disbelief. In this program, we’ll get a better understanding of the grieving process and learn how to best confront painful emotions. Our guests are Ann Tramontana-Veno, the Executive Director of Hope After Loss. The Connecticut-based organization helps people through the loss of a pregnancy or an infant, and Deborah Oster Pannell, a resident of the Bronx who is representing A Caring Hand. The New York City-based organization offers a variety of programs to help grieving children and families.

Behind every business, there’s a story worth knowing, like the story of the two sisters behind the wildly popular Alice’s Tea Cup restaurants in New York City, or the story behind the Willy Wonky of Bushwick, Brooklyn, Daniel Sklaar. Just how did the one-time financial analyst go on to open his Fine & Raw chocolate factory in 2012? On this edition of Cityscape, the story behind two successful New York City businesses. Both came to our attention this winter as we longed for hot drinks. Fine & Raw makes a mean hot chocolate, and Alice’s Tea Cup has a wide variety of teas to warm the body and soul.

The name might not be as familiar as Trump when it comes to development in New York City, especially these days, but Zeckendorf is a moniker that has played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s skyline. First there was the larger-than-life William Zeckendorf senior, who among other things, assembled the land on which the United Nations rose in the late 1940’s. Then there was his much more understated son William Zeckendorf Junior who built several projects, including Worldwide Plaza in Manhattan. His sons have since carried on the family tradition. Late in his life William Zeckendorf Junior penned a memoir. But, he died in 2014 before it was published. That’s where his wife Nancy comes in. She made it her mission to see her husband’s story told. Nancy has quite the story of her own. She’s a former principal dancer for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. These days Nancy spends most of her time in Santa Fe, where she and Bill retired. But, she still has a home in New York City. Cityscape host George Bodarky recently caught up with her there for a chat.

New York is undeniably a magical city with its rich history, towering skyscrapers and plethora of things to do. But, it’s also magical in a literal sense. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re talking with a couple of the guys behind New York City’s longest running off-broadway magic show: Monday Night Magic.

It’s one of life’s ultimate questions: Are you a cat person or a dog person? On this week’s Cityscape, we have something for both feline and canine lovers. We’ll talk with the founder of an organization that works to help improve the lives of homeless dogs in the New York City area. It’s called Foster Dogs NYC. We’ll also talk with Tamar Arslanian, the author of the book Shop Cats of New York, as well as the blog ihavecat.com

The Nutcracker ballet is a holiday classic featuring different styles of dance and a magical story. But what happens if you take the dancers off of the stage and thrust them into daily life? On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with photographer Jordan Matter about his books Dancers Among Us and Dancers After Dark that use professional dancers to see ordinary life in an extraordinary way. We'll also talk with someone who experienced Dancers After Dark from the other side of Jordan's camera lens, dancer Demetia Hopkins-Greene.

The New York Times recently named the South Bronx as one of the 52 places travelers should plan to visit in the coming year. Now, if you're hung up on images of what the South Bronx looked like in the 1970s and early 80s when burned-out buildings and gangs dominated the area, that probably comes as a big surprise. But, the South Bronx has come a long way over the years. It's no longer burning -- it's gentrifying. Take a walk around and you'll discover trendy coffee shops, galleries and boutiques. Public radio station, WNYC, is documenting the affordability crisis and changing neighborhoods across New York City. They're doing this one by one, and kicked things off with Mott Haven in the South Bronx. WNYC associate producer Sophia Paliza-Carre joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about the project. We're also joined by a Bronx native on a mission to open an independent bookstore/wine bar in the South Bronx. Right now the Bronx doesn't have a single bookstore.

People from all over come to New York City for the various networking opportunities it provides. But what people may not know is that when they ride the subways or check their emails, they’re involved with different kinds of networks. On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring the networks that makeup our city, from bridges to broadband, and how they impact the hustle and bustle that New York is known for.

Rock and roll and drugs have, historically, often gone hand in hand. Many musicians are dealing with, have dealt with, or have died from addiction. The list is long and includes names like Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. But, while the lifestyle of a musician can be supportive of addiction, it could also be used to help combat the problem. Enter Road Recovery, an organization that helps young people recovering from addiction and other adversities by harnessing the influence of entertainment industry professionals who have confronted similar crises and now wish to share their experience, knowledge, and resources. Road Recovery co-founder Gene Bowen and board member Simon Kirke are our guests on this week's Cityscape. Simon is a drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company.

New York City’s skyline is forever evolving, but the churches that dot the city’s streets are lasting reminders of the Big Apple’s rich and varied religious and cultural history. On this week’s show, we’re talking with Richard Panchyk. He’s the author of Manhattan Churches, which is part of Arcadia Publishing’s Postcard History Series.

Anyone can visit the Statue of Liberty or gawk at the Eiffel Tower, but if the typical tourist hotspots don’t do enough to feed your curiosity or sense of adventure, you’ll want to join us for this week’s Cityscape. We're talking with Ella Morton. Ella is in the business of guiding people to the road less traveled. She is Associate Editor at Atlas Obscura and co-author of the Atlas Obscura book.

When something momentous happens in our lives, we often turn to the written word to share our enthusiasm. For a lot of people today that means a text, an e-mail or perhaps a Facebook post. A new book explores how time and time again everyday folks turn to storytelling, more specifically poetry, to record and respond to what’s happening in their lives. The book is called The Poetry of Everyday Life: Storytelling and the Art of Awareness. The author is folklorist, writer, and cultural activist, Steve Zeitlin. Steve is the founding director of the nonprofit cultural center City Lore in Manhattan. He's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

You might not know his name, or recognize his face, but more than likely you’re familiar with his work. Joel Beckerman is an award-winning composer, music producer for film and television and founder of Man Made Music, a company that specializes in what’s known as sonic branding. They’ve produced sounds for global giants like Disney, NBC and AT&T. We recently caught up with Joel at Made Made Music’s studios in Lower Manhattan to talk about the power of music and sound in our lives, as well as his advice for success.

eBooks and on-line retailers have put a strain on independent booksellers around the globe, but mom-and-pop book shops still hold a special place in the hearts of many people, and a lot of them are holding strong against the competition. Illustrator, writer and New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein pays tribute to the independent bookstore in his new book Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores: True Tales and Lost Moments from Book Buyers, Booksellers and Book Lovers. Bob is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

As the holidays approach, shoppers will be on the hunt for a bargain. But, not all of them will just be sifting through the clearance rack. Some will hit the streets of New York City in search of a steal on the black market. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re talking about con men, hustlers, and the black market.

With Thanksgiving coming up, a lot of us are getting ready to spend time with our immediate and extended family. While most people only deal with the prying questions and awkward conversations for a few hours once or twice a year, some endure them every day. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re exploring multigenerational family dynamics at home and in business.

The road to reintegration can be difficult for veterans. It can be hard to find a job and a place to live. And some vets come back with physical and/or emotional wounds that need tending to. In this WFUV/BronxNet Strike a Chord special, we’re delving into the challenges veterans can face as they transition from military to civilian life. And we’ll also be hearing about programs that aim to help veterans with that transition. The Jericho Project runs one those programs. Our guests in this program include Tori Lyon, the Jericho Project’s CEO. We'll also hear from Vu Nguyen who served in the U.S. Navy from 2004 to 2008 and now works with the organization, The Mission Continues, and Josh Chrisman, an Army and Army National Guard Veteran who now works with American Corporate Partners.

New York City's Chinatown is known for its restaurants, shops and festivals, but what about gang violence? Rewind to the turn of the 20th century and you'll find the neighborhood was riddled with it. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with Scott Seligman, author of Tong Wars: The Untold Story of Vice, Money and Murder in New York's Chinatown.

Brooklyn Bridge Park has become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike in New York City. The park offers spectacular views of New York Harbor, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower Manhattan skyline. But, not too long ago, the area was an industrial wasteland. A new book explores how the eyesore became an urban wonderland. It’s called Brooklyn Bridge Park: A Dying Waterfront Transformed. Joanne Witty co-authored the book with the late journalist Henrik Krogius. Joanne is a lawyer, environmentalist, president of the local development corporation that developed Brooklyn Bridge Park’s master plan and vice chair of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation. Joanne is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

The song from the musical A Chorus Line may refer to "one singular sensation," but our guest on this week's Cityscape believes strongly in the power of twos. Yoav Litvin is a New York City-based scientist, photographer and writer. Yoav has spent a lot of time studying the brain, but he’s also spent a lot of time studying New York City’s street art scene. He joins us to talk about his latest project 2Create: Art Collaborations in New York City.

"No soup for you!" It's one of the most memorable television catchphrases of all time. Joining us on this week Cityscape is Seinfeld's Soup Nazi (actor Larry Thomas) and the CEO of The Original Soupman soups, Jamie Karson.

Nely Galán was the first Latina president of a U.S. television network, Telemundo. She went on to run her own independent production company Galán Entertainment. She’s produced over 700 episodes of television in English and Spanish, and in 2008 Nely even appeared on Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump. The New York Times Magazine has called Nely the “Tropical Tycoon.”  She was born in Cuba. Nely’s parents moved to the United States when she was just a little girl. Nely is now on a mission to help other women (and men for that matter) become successful entrepreneurs. She’s out with a new book called Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant and Rich in Every Way. Nely is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

New York City’s Chelsea Hotel has a storied history. The famously run-down hotel on West 23rd Street in Manhattan is in the midst of what appears to be a drawn out renovation. But, it’s the list of who once called the Chelsea home that has garnered it the most attention over the years. The hotel was built during the latter part of the 1800s. And from the beginning it attracted creative types. It’s been a haven for artists, writers and musicians. Among them – Bob Dylan, Jasper Johns, Patti Smith and Leonard Cohen. Even in more recent years, the Chelsea Hotel has housed a vibrant cast of characters. Just ask Nicolaia Rips. She grew up there. The 17-year-old is now out with a memoir about her experiences. It’s called Trying to Float: Coming of Age in the Chelsea Hotel. Nicolaia is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

What if today was the last day of your life? Would you do anything differently? Would you regret having not taken action on something sooner? Our guest on this edition of Cityscape is Kute Blackson, spiritual leader, transformational coach and the author of You Are the One. Kute joins us to share advice on how to unlock your potential and create a life that you truly want to live.

It’s been 15 years since Americans were shaken by the news of hijacked planes slamming into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. It was a beautiful sunny Tuesday morning when the story started to unfold. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on 9/11, and the needs of families affected by the tragedy were great. That’s where Tuesday’s Children comes in. The organization formed to help kids and families of 9/11 victims heal and move forward. 15 years after 9/11, the group is still in operation and helping youth, families and communities impacted by terrorism and traumatic loss. Terry Sears is the Executive Director of Tuesday’s Children. She's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

What do a dead giraffe, a robot hand and a grand piano have in common? They’re all objects found in the waterways around New York City. A digital journal called Underwater New York publishes stories, art and music inspired by objects discovered in the shadowy depths of the city’s waterways. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with founding editor Nicki Pombier Berger and editor Helen Georgas.

The Bowery in Lower Manhattan is New York City’s oldest thoroughfare. The 1.25 mile stretch has a rich and storied past with strong connections to vaudeville, beat literature and punk rock. But nowadays the Bowery’s history has somewhat faded into its present, which includes high-end shops, bars and eateries. The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors is working to preserve and protect the history of the legendary street. The Bowery Alliance recently sponsored a project involving 64 window placards celebrating the Bowery’s remarkable, but largely forgotten contributions to American culture and history. It’s called Windows on the Bowery. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with the President of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, David Mulkins.

We are a society addicted to our cell phones. Take a look around the streets of New York City and chances are the majority of people around you will be staring down at their palms, checking e-mails or texting with friends or family. But, when we spend so much time staring at that glowing screen in our palms, we’re missing out on all that’s around us, including some pretty magnificent gardens and wildlife you may be surprised to see in a city like New York. On this week’s Cityscape we’re exploring unexpected greenery and bird species in the Big Apple.

A recent study found that lawyers struggle with substance abuse, particularly drinking, and with depression and anxiety more commonly than some other professionals. Our guest on this week’s Cityscape knows all too well about problem drinking in the legal profession. Lisa F. Smith was addicted to alcohol and drugs while working at prominent New York City law firms.  Lisa has been sober for just over 12 years, and shares her story of addiction and recovery in her new memoir, Girl Walks Out of a Bar.

When you think about bath time, what comes to mind? If you’re a parent of a young child, perhaps it’s the challenge of getting your kid into the tub. If you grew up watching Sesame Street, it might be Ernie and his rubber ducky. And if you’re someone who loves the 80’s, maybe it’s the phrase “Calgon, take me away!” Bathing has meant different things to many cultures over the centuries. Doctor Paulette Kouffman Sherman, a psychologist in New York City, dives deep into the history and power of a mindful soak in her new book – The Book of Sacred Baths: 52 Bathing Rituals to Revitalize Your Spirit. She’s our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

New York City is bursting with history.  You can still see some of it with your very own eyes. For instance, you can pay a visit to what’s billed as Manhattan’s oldest house, the Morris-Jumel Mansion. But, some of the Big Apple’s history is no longer visible, like the prison where the crooked politician William "Boss” Tweed died in 1878. Greg Young and Tom Meyers are good friends who dive deep into the history of New York City in their hit podcast – The Bowery Boys. Since they started in 2007 they’ve produced more than 200 episodes, and are now making the rounds promoting their first book Adventures in Old New York. Greg and Tom recently dropped by our studios to talk about their ongoing exploration into the city’s rich past.

It can be a challenge for any kid to head back to school after summer break. After all there is something to be said for lazy days hanging out with friends at the park, beach or pool. But, summer only lasts so long, and soon kids will be trading in their beach balls for notebooks. For a lot of families in New York City, the cost of getting a child ready for a new school year can be out of reach. Enter – Operation Backpack. The initiative provides backpacks stocked with grade-appropriate school supplies to kids living in homeless and domestic violence shelters. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with the program's founder, Rachel Weinstein.

Before Central Park and before Prospect Park, there was Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery.  With its rolling hills, majestic views and beautiful monuments, the cemetery was once one of the nation’s greatest tourist attractions – right up there with Niagara Falls.  Green-Wood doesn’t pack in as many tourists today, but it still remains a popular destination. The roster of those interred at Green-Wood Cemetery reads like a “Who’s Who” of great New Yorkers. We recently dug into Green-Wood's history with a guy who knows quite a bit about it -- the cemetery's historian, Jeff Richman.

The arts can play an important role in the rehabilitation of those who’ve suffered both mental and physical trauma, from stroke sufferers to survivors of domestic violence. As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, we conducted a panel discussion at BronxNet Television.  Our guests included: Suzanne Tribe, a music therapist who works with the Healing Arts program at Montefiore Health System. Lindsay Aaron, an art therapist at Montefiore. She works with adult patients within the oncology and palliative care departments. Ariel Edwards, Community Arts Director at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York.  The Clay Art Center has a workshop for people living with cancer. Dolores Anselmo, someone who benefits from the Clay Art Center.

From Coney Island to Green-Wood Cemetery to Prospect Park, Brooklyn has a whole lot to offer locals and tourists alike. The borough has a tremendously rich history with a variety of vibrant neighborhoods. Many of those neighborhoods have seen a great deal of change over the years. Freelance writer Ellen Freudenheim has witnessed that changed first hand. She’s a long-time Brooklyn resident and recently completed her fourth guidebook to the borough. It’s called The Brooklyn Experience: The Ultimate Guide to Neighborhoods and Noshes, Culture and the Cutting Edge. Ellen is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

New York’s Central Park has longed provided respite from the bustling concrete jungle. The park was designed by landscape architect and writer Frederick Law Olmsted and the English architect Calvert Vaux in 1858 after winning a design competition. Central Park has a wide array of amenities from running and bike paths to a swimming pool to ice skating rinks, but it’s the park’s trees and landscapes that are the subject of a new book. It’s called Central Park: Trees and Landscapes: A Guide to New York City’s Masterpiece. The authors are long-time park enthusiast Edward Sibley Barnard and Neil Calvanese, the Central Park Conservancy’s former Vice President for Operations and chief arborist. Barnard is also the author of another book called New York City Trees: A Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area. Cityscape host George Bodarky recently took a walk with Barnard to check out some of Central Park's magnificent trees.

For at least some people the word grandma still conjures up images of a little old lady sitting on a rocking chair and knitting. And while that may have been a largely accurate portrayal at one point in our history, you can’t paint grandmothers today with such a broad brush. Veteran journalist Lesley Stahl is a grandmother of two, and examines the role of grandparents in society in a new book called Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting.  Lesley joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about her book. We also talk with another journalist whose working to shed new light on the role of grandparents in society. Her name is Olivia Gentile and she’s the brains behind a website called The Grandparent Effect.

New York City is a frenetic, fast-paced and noisy place, but thankfully there are plenty of areas to find solace in the concrete jungle, including at the New York Botanical Garden. The 250-acre site in the Bronx is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. For more than a decade, Larry Lederman, photographer and member of the NYBG’s Board of Advisors, has been observing and photographing the Garden in all seasons and at all times of day. We visited with Larry at the Garden to learn all about his work.

New York City's theatrical community has a rich and storied past. But, ask most people about Yiddish Theater and chances are they know only one show with a Yiddish connection -- Fiddler on the Roof. But, the story of Yiddish Theater spans well beyond the mainstream stage.  A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York dives deep into the history of Yiddish Theater. The exhibit is called New York's Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway, and is accompanied by a book of the same name. The woman behind the project, Edna Nahshon, is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

If you’re a baseball fan, there’s nothing more thrilling than when you’re favorite team advances to the World Series. Mets fans had that thrill last year. Although their hopes of winning the championship were dashed when the Mets lost to the Kansas City Royals in Game Five of the series. It was a much different outcome for Mets fans in 1986. The Amazins won the World Series that year in a match up against the Boston Red Sox. But what happened after the champagne stopped flowing? A new book explores that question, looking at where life took several members of the '86 Mets after their big victory. It’s called Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with the '86 Mets. The author is sportswriter Erik Sherman. He's our guest on this week's show.

Imagine running a highway through Washington Square Park. That could have happened. Urban planner Robert Moses put the idea on the table in the 1950s. But, then Jane Jacobs intervened. The urbanist and activist led the successful fight against the four-lane highway, as well as other Robert Moses' projects. Jacobs was opposed to the kind of city planning that involves big development and urban renewal projects that tear down old communities. She’s best known for her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Jacobs’ ideas have often been met with criticism from developers and city planners. But, a lot of planning experts agree that her work helped to shape modern thinking about Jane Jacobs would have turned 100 on May 4th. Several activities are planned in New York City and beyond this month to celebrate her life and legacy, including an event called Jane’s Walk. On this edition of Cityscape, we're exploring the life and legacy of Jane Jacobs.

New York City is known for its hustle and bustle.  In fact it’s that frenetic energy that often attracts people to the Big Apple.  Just look at how the tourists eat up Times Square. But, the city that’s known for never sleeping, does indeed doze a bit.  On this edition of the show, we’re exploring New York City before the sun comes up. Our guests include: Laurence Addeo, third-generation owner of Addeo Bakers in the Bronx Cameron Gidari, author of Manhattan Before8 Brooklyn-based photographer Gretchen Robinette

In a city like New York that’s constantly evolving, you often hear grumblings that neighborhoods just aren’t what they used to be.  You even have people who miss the old Times Square as gritty and crime ridden as it once was. Further downtown, St. Marks Place is frequently the subject of that kind of debate.  The three block stretch in the East Village has long had a reputation as being a hotspot for counterculture. It’s synonymous with names like Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol and the Ramones. But, some feel that pizzazz has been lost to gentrification.  Regardless, the tiny street has a long and rich history. Journalist Ada Calhoun grew up on St. Marks Place, and recently penned a book about it.  It’s called St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America’s Hippest Street. Ada and Cityscape host George Bodarky recently met up to take a walk through her old neighborhood. 

​​Maps have long played an integral role in society. They’ve been used to discover treasure and foreign lands, identify and locate constellations and stars, and simply to get to a relative’s house on time for Thanksgiving dinner. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re exploring the power of the map. Our guests are Becky Cooper, author of Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers, and award-winning cartographer, graphic designer and information architect, Stephan Van Dam. Stephan is the President and Creative Director of New York City-based VanDam Inc.

From food to entertainment, the Big Apple has a lot to offer no matter your age. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re taking a look at New York City from a toddler’s perspective.The city has a lot to offer a kid between the ages of one and three years old -- from cool museums to foreign language programs. This week we’ll pay a visit to a French for toddlers class on Manhattan’s upper East Side. We'll also check out a place that brings a little piece of country life to New York City kids.  And we'll talk with a photographer who literally set out to see what the city looked like from his toddler's perspective.

New York is one of the most photographed cities in the world. Just think about how many people you see snapping pictures in Times Square alone on any given day. On this week's Cityscape we're focusing on photo taking in New York City through the lens two specific individuals. One is no longer with us, but left a significant mark on the world of photography, as well as in other areas including women’s rights. Staten Island native Alice Austen was one of the nation’s earliest and most prolific female photographers. We'll also hear from photographer Harvey Stein. He's been shooting in the streets of New York City since John Lindsay was mayor. His latest book Briefly Seen: New York Street Life includes photographs taken between 1974 and 2014.

When you think of a doctor, what image comes to mind? For a lot of people it’s a person in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his or her neck. But, with dramatic advances in health care and technology since the stethoscope was invented 200 years ago, is it still a useful tool? Coming up on this week’s Cityscape we’ll explore that question and delve a bit into New York City’s medical history. We'll learn all about the New York Academy of Medicine, which has been helping to advance the health of people living in cities since 1847, and pay a visit to the oldest continuous dermatology office in Manhattan.

You can't underestimate the value of positive role models in the lives of young people, especially those at risk. This winter, WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign is focusing its attention on mentoring programs in the tri-state region. Listen to this special panel discussion we produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

To make it in New York, you need to stand out.  And while there is strength in numbers, sometimes you need to just go it alone.  Be bold.  Make a statement.  Separate yourself from the rest. Enter “One-Food Wonders.” On this week’s Cityscape we’re honing in on eateries that specialize in just one thing, like grilled cheese sandwiches, rice pudding and pickles.

When it comes to New York foods, for a lot of people, pizza tops the list of favorites. No doubt New Yorkers know their stuff when it comes to sauce, crust and cheese.  Pizza has a long history in the Big Apple.  In fact, New York is home to what’s said to be the first pizzeria in America -- Lombardi’s in Manhattan. On this week's Cityscape -- all things pizza, including a look at a new coffee table book that features photographs of pizzerias in all five boroughs, as well as the stories of shop owners, employees and patrons.  

Luke Waters was born in Ireland and had dreams of following in his grandfather's and brother's footsteps by joining that country's police force.  Waters did fulfill his dream of becoming a cop -- only in New York City.  He spent two decades with the NYPD.  Waters details his experiences in a new memoir called NYPD Green: An Irish-Born Detective's Twenty Years on the Mean Streets of New York.  He joins us on this week's Cityscape to share his story.

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa spent 15 years as a practicing Monk in New York City.  He details his experiences in a book called Urban Monk. But, Pandit has since left the monastery he called home on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He’s now devoting his life to helping others de-stress as a meditation teacher, inspirational speaker and well-being expert. Pandit was first on Cityscape in June of 2014 to talk about life as a monk in the Big Apple.  He’s back this week to share what life is like for him in his new role outside of the monastery.

New York is the most populous city in the United States.  Space is, of course, at a premium.  For a lot of people that means no room for a washer/dryer in their apartment. Enter the laundromat. On this edition of Cityscape, an "ode to the laundromat."

New York City has long been recognized as a food lover’s paradise. From its fine restaurants to its street food, the city has something for every palate. Our guest on this edition of Cityscape is Cathy Kaufman.  Cathy is the Associate Editor of Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover’s Companion to New York City.

For mom and pop shops in New York City, high rents and competition from chain stores and online retailers can be insurmountable barriers. The city has seen many small businesses shutter their doors over the years as a result of these challenges.  Over the past several years, husband and wife photography team James and Karla Murray have been photographing the distinctive facades of mom and pop shops throughout the five boroughs. Their first book of images called Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York came out in 2008.  Karla and James are now out with a follow up book called Store Front II: A History Preserved The Disappearing Face of New York.  Karla is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.

Think back on some of your most impactful “firsts” in life -- a first love, a first big career move, a first tragedy.  They are all moments that undoubtedly helped to shape who you are today. On this episode of Cityscape, New York City is the backdrop for life changing firsts, including first loves, first babies and first cancer diagnoses.

New York is a city that has pretty much everything.  But, taking it all in, well, that could be exhausting, not to mention take a lifetime. Our guests on this edition of Cityscape each have a story about trying to take in some of the “everything” the Big Apple has to offer.  We’ll hear from a guy on a mission to draw every person in New York City, a college professor who walked every block in the Big Apple, and a man who set out to try every slice of regular pizza in Manhattan.

Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal has been called many things over the years. A cesspool, an industrial dumping ground, a blemish. But, our guest on this edition of Cityscape says the 1.8 mile canal is also one of the most important waterways in the history of New York Harbor. Joseph Alexiou is a licensed New York City tour guide, and the author of Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal. 

Homelessness is on the rise in New York City. According to a recent report from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness is up 11% from 2014. The survey found 75,323 people living on the streets or in shelters in the Big Apple. Mayor de Blasio has been taking a lot of heat for his handling of the homeless situation. But, he recently unveiled a $2.6 plan to help tackle the problem. The 15-year plan would create 15,000 units of housing that would include social services for veterans, mentally disabled people and others in need of assistance. On this edition of Cityscape, we’ll explore other efforts to help combat homelessness in the city, including Councilman Mark Levine’s push to stem evictions, and a program that uses running to combat homelessness.

This is an especially busy time of year in New York City.  Tourists typically come to the Big Apple in droves during the holiday season.  And with all of those out-of-towners comes the opportunity for con artists and hustlers to make some easy money. Our guests on this edition of Cityscape spent years with con artists to uncover their secrets. Trevor B. Milton is an assistant professor in social sciences at Queensborough Community College, and Terry Williams is a professor of sociology at the New School for Social Research.  Trevor and Terry join us to talk about their new book The Con Men: Hustling in New York City.

In the blink of an eye the holiday season is upon us once again. And for a lot of people that will mean more time in the kitchen cooking and baking for family and friends. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re focusing our attention on food, and to some extent, the preparation of it. We'll visit the Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn, where some of the exhibits, are, in fact, edible.  We'll also talk with famed food photographer Alan "Battman" Batt who has established a school to train line cooks in New York City.  The school educates unemployed people and places them in restaurants. It's free of charge to students. And we'll check in with Brooklyn resident and classically trained chef Jackie Newgent about her book The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook.

Every day millions of people get to and from their destinations using the New York City subway system. A lot of them are too rushed to take notice of their surroundings. But, not Adam Chang. The freelance art director and designer has been taking the time to uncover the subway’s hidden treasures for his NY Train Project. Adam is cataloging the signs of subway stations on his website. He'll join us on this week's Cityscape to talk about the project. We'll also hear from the author of The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City’s Unbuilt Subway System, as well as talk with a busker who plays the saw at the Times Square, Union Square and Herald Square subway stations.

Each quarter, WFUV works to raise awareness of a particular issue through our Strike a Chord campaign. Past campaigns have focused on everything from mental illness stereotypes to teen suicide prevention. WFUV and Bronxnet Television teamed up to produce a special panel discussion for our latest campaign focused on family caregivers. When you’re faced with having to care for a sick or disabled loved one, you’re bound to encounter a set of new responsibilities – many of which might be unfamiliar or intimidating. Our panel discussion on the subject features the following guests: Randi Kaplan, Director Caregiver Support Program Montefiore Health SystemChris Widelo, Associate State Director for AARP New YorkMatt Kudish, Senior Vice President of Caregiver Services at Alzheimer’s Association, New York City chapterSharon Corso, a caregiver for her husband who has Alzheimer’s Disease

Central Park has long been a magnet for New Yorkers and tourists alike. Some people are drawn to it because of the peace and quiet it can provide in the often obnoxiously loud city. Others are attracted to its ballfields.  And if you’re a runner, you may appreciate both its hilly and flat terrain. Since its inception, artists have also felt the tug of Central Park. Roger F. Pasquier has put together a book that explores how artists have depicted the park in their work dating back to the mid 1800s. Roger studied art history at Columbia and the University of California, Berkley.  He retired from his career as an ornithologist a few years ago, which freed him up to focus on his book, titled Painting Central Park. Roger is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

Women have played a wide variety of roles during wartime. During World War I, their main role was to work in munitions factories, on farms and other areas to replace men drafted into the military. But, as the years progressed, women got more and more involved in war efforts, including serving as journalists covering the combat. On this week’s Cityscape, we’ll talk with a New York City resident who’s penned a novel that explores the role of female journalists on the battleground and in the newsroom during the Vietnam War.  We'll also attend a retreat that takes an unusual approach to helping female veterans cope with PTSD.

From landmark buildings like City Hall to hidden gems like New York Marble Cemetery in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, New York is a city of endless discoveries. For one weekend each year, the organization OHNY, which stands for Open House New York, invites the public to explore hundreds of New York City’s most impressive sites. On this week's Cityscape we're talking with OHNY Executive Director Gregory Wessner, as well as checking out a couple of sites featured in this year's OHNY weekend.

One could argue that no food item is more New York than the bagel. For a lot of people buying bagels on a Sunday morning is a ritual. But, let’s face it, New York City is a great place to grab a bagel any day of the week. The city is home to a wide variety of places to get a bagel fix. On this edition of Cityscape, we're taking a bite into the history and culture of the bagel in New York City.

You can see a lot of New York City from the top of a double-decker bus. But, outside views of the Empire State Building and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are limiting. If you never venture inside these kinds of iconic places you’ll miss out on some pretty spectacular interiors. A new book encourages readers to look beyond buildings’ facades.  It’s called Interior Landmarks: Treasures of New York. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with the book's authors, Judith Gura and Kate Wood.

New York City will soon be among the places where people can acquire medical marijuana with a prescription. The city’s first marijuana dispensary is scheduled to open in January near Manhattan’s Union Square. Under a law signed by Governor Cuomo in June 2014, five companies will be allowed to grow cannabis and operate 20 dispensaries throughout New York State. Many have slammed the legislation as being the most restrictive in the country. On this edition of Cityscape, we're exploring the issue of medical marijuana in New York.

In the age of e-books and digital information, are libraries still relevant? The answer is a resounding yes if you ask Michael D.D. White and Carolyn McIntyre. The Brooklyn residents are the founders of the group Citizens Defending Libraries. They're our guests on this week's Cityscape, along with the author of a new book about an especially fierce battle against a project that would have demolished the beloved stacks at the main branch of the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue at 42nd Street in Manhattan. We'll also dive into the history of the marble lions that stand guard outside what's officially known as The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. 

As summer comes to a close, it’s likely that orders of cold beers will turn into orders of hot toddy’s. But regardless of your drink of choice, there are no shortage of places in New York City to throw one back. On this edition of Cityscape, we’ll delve into the history of some of New York City’s most noteworthy bars, and talk with a local bartender who holds the Guinness Record as the world’s fastest.

Samuel Battle is far from a household name in New York City, yet he holds a very important place in the Big Apple’s history. Battle was the first African-American to join the NYPD. But, the road to becoming a police officer was not an easy one for Battle, and even after he got on the force, the challenges continued. He had to deal with racist colleagues, death threats and government corruption, along with criminals and gang members. A new book traces Samuel Battle’s amazing journey. It’s called One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York. The author is New York Daily News Editorial Page Editor, Arthur Browne. Browne joins us on this edition of Cityscape. Samuel Battle is far from a household name in New York City yet he holds a very important place in the Big Apple’s history. Battle was the first African-American to join the NYPD. But, the road to becoming a police officer was not an easy one for Battle, and even after he got on the force, the challenges continued. He had to deal with racist colleagues, death threats and government corruption, along with criminals and gang members. A new book traces Samuel Battle’s amazing journey. It’s called One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York. The author is Daily News Editorial Page Editor Arthur Browne. He's our guest on this edition of Cityscape. - See more at: http://www.wfuv.org/content/cityscape-one-righteous-man#sthash.ZCjasNoD.dpuf Samuel Battle is far from a household name in New York City yet he holds a very important place in the Big Apple’s history. Battle was the first African-American to join the NYPD. But, the road to becoming a police officer was not an easy one for Battle, and even after he got on the force, the challenges continued. He had to deal with racist colleagues, death threats and government corruption, along with criminals and gang members. A new book traces Samuel Battle’s amazing journey. It’s called One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York. The author is Daily News Editorial Page Editor Arthur Browne. He's our guest on this edition of Cityscape. - See more at: http://www.wfuv.org/content/cityscape-one-righteous-man#sthash.ZCjasNoD.dpuf

New York City is home to a wide variety of clubs where you can mix and mingle with people with similar interests and backgrounds, some more exclusive than others. In fact, the city has a rich history of elite social clubs dating back to the 1830s.  On this edition of Cityscape, we're exploring that history and taking a peek inside a couple of clubs that have been around for quite some time. 

Out of all five boroughs in New York City, the Bronx is often not the first that comes to mind for visitors to the Big Apple.  Manhattan is typically the big draw.  With places like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty getting a whole lot of love.  But, the Bronx has a lot to offer tourists and locals alike. A new guidebook spotlights a wide variety of cultural and historical attractions in the Bronx.  It’s called The Bronx: The Ultimate Guide to New York City's Beautiful Borough, and it’s written by Bronx Borough Historian and Fairleigh Dickinson University History Professor, Lloyd Ultan and former University Professor Shelley Olson. Lloyd and Shelley are our guests on this edition of Cityscape.

Jerome Charyn is an award-winning American author who’s published nearly 50 books. Throughout his career, he’s written novels, memoirs, graphic novels, short stories, plays and non-fiction works. Born and raised in the Bronx, Jerome hasn’t forgotten his roots. The Bronx consistently seeps into his writing. His latest work is a collection of thirteen stories called Bitter Bronx. Jerome is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.

For the first time in decades pedestrians and bicyclists can now travel over New York City’s oldest standing bridge.  The High Bridge, connecting Washington Heights in Manhattan to Highbridge in the Bronx, re-opened to the public last month after being closed for more than 40 years. A new children’s book aims to educate kids about the High Bridge.  It’s called The Lowdown on the High Bridge: The Story of How New York City Got Its Water.  It’s written by none other than Sonia Manzano, best known as Maria from Sesame Street.  Manzano grew up in the Bronx.  She is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.

New York City is dotted with coffee shops. They’re pretty much on every block. Some streets might even have two or three. Each and every morning people line up to get their java fix before heading off to work or school. On this edition of Cityscape we’re exploring a bit of the New York coffee scene. But we’ll have something for tea drinkers too.  

A lot of us associate Independence with America’s independence from British rule, but there are plenty of ways to look at it. On this week’s edition of Cityscape, we’re looking at independence from various perspectives, including a kid’s independence from the diaper. We’ll also talk with the executive director of an organization that works to help disabled New Yorkers live as independently as possible. We’ll learn about the famous Macy’s 4thof July Fireworks from its creative director. And we’ll delve into New York City’s Revolutionary War history with a tour guide who knows all about it. 

WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign is shining a spotlight on kids who care.The campaign highlights kids making a difference in their communities through volunteer efforts.We produced this panel discussion in conjunction with BronxNet Television.  Our guests include: 8-year-old Maeve Ryan who is involved with a project called Operation Christmas Child; 15-year-old Sean Martin, the founder of Kids Adopt a Shelter; and Naomi Hirabayashi with DoSomething.org.

Baseball took his sight, but gave him a life.  That’s what Ed Lucas says about the sport in a book he penned with his son, Christopher, called Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story -- A Blind Broadcaster’s Story of Overcoming Life’s Greatest Obstacles. Ed Lucas might not be as familiar a name in baseball history as Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, but his story is no less remarkable.  Ed and his son Christopher are our guests on this week's Cityscape.

Red Hook, Brooklyn is one of those New York City neighborhoods that might fall under the radar. It’s a waterfront community that’s a more than 20-minute walk from the nearest subway station. Some people might only know it because it's home to an IKEA. But, there's a lot more than a popular furniture store to explore in Red Hook. On this week's edition of Cityscape, we're spending time in Red Hook.

Imagine a skyscraper in place of Grand Central Terminal, or construction crews gutting the interior of the famed Radio City Music Hall.  It’s been five decades since New York City Mayor Robert Wagner signed a measure to help preserve the city’s history.  A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York explores the roots and impact of the city’s landmarks law.  It’s called Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks.  The exhibit is complemented by a book of the same name.  The guys behind both are Donald Albrecht, the Museum of the City of New York’s Curator for Architecture and Design and Andrew Dolkart, the Director of Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University.  They’re our guests on this edition of Cityscape.   

A lot of people who visit New York hit up the Bronx or Central Park zoos to get an up-close look at wildlife. After all, the only wild animals the city is most known for are rats and pigeons. But, the fact of the matter is the city is teaming with wildlife. On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring wildlife in the concrete jungle – from spotted salamanders to parrots. 

It's become an all too familiar story for a lot of New Yorkers.  Their favorite dive bar or cafe is turned into a 7-Eleven or Apple Store.  On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with folks about the plight of mom and pop shops in an increasingly corporate retail environment.

Spring is in the air in New York City.  And after a long, cold winter, it’s finally safe to give some serious consideration to spending time on the water. And while sometimes it’s easy to forget, the Big Apple is surrounded by H2O.  On this week's Cityscape, we're visiting the last wooden barge in New York Harbor, and checking out the sailing scene on City Island.   

Each and every day we touch and eat things often without giving it a second thought.  We hold on to the handrail walking down the stairs to catch a subway train.  We top a cup of pudding with a little cool whip.   On this edition of Cityscape, we’re talking with folks who’ve actually given a lot of thought to what we touch and eat -- from subway turnstiles to spray cheese.  The show features: Chris Mason, a geneticist at the Weill Cornell Medical Center.  He and a team of research assistants collected DNA throughout the New York City subway system to identify germs.  Writer Patrick DiJusto took a good hard look at what’s inside everyday products.  His new book is called This is What You Just Put in Your Mouth?: From Egg Nog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets of What's Inside Everyday Products.

What do Al Pacino, Regis Philbin, Mary Higgins Clark and Colin Powell all have in common? They're all Bronx natives.  And all of them are featured in a new book called Just Kids from the Bronx: Telling it the Way it Was: An Oral History.  The book includes the stories of more than 60 native Bronxites who have gone on to make important contributions in nearly every field imaginable, from acting to science to athletics.  Author Arlene Alda, who happens to be the wife of television and film star Alan Alda, is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.

New York-style pizza tops “best of” lists across the web. A google search turns up images of mostly big, hearty cheese slices.  The kind of photos that make your mouth water.  Pizza has a long history in the Big Apple.  In fact, Lombardi's in Manhattan is said to be the first pizzeria in America.  Brooklyn resident Scott Weiner is an expert on all things pizza.  He turned his love for the food into a career. Scott runs tours of significant pizzerias in New York City.  We recently visited with him at his apartment in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, where he keeps a super large collection of pizza boxes.  You'll hear that interview on this week's Cityscape.  Also on this week's show, we'll visit a pizza school on Manhattan's Lower East Side, and talk with a co-owner of a Staten Island pizza joint that's been around since 1937.

This coming July marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  But, just how far have we come in securing equal access and equal opportunity for all, and what more needs to be done?As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign focused on efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, we teamed up with Bronxnet for a special panel discussion.Our guests included:James Weisman.  James is an ADA pioneer and civil rights advocate.  He’s been involved in the disability rights movement since the beginning.  James currently serves as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of United Spinal Association. Edith Prentiss, chair of the Taxis for All Campaign. And...Miranda Appelbaum.  Miranda is Senior Manager of Accessibility and Visitor Services at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  She’s also the chair of the steering committee for the Museum Access Consortium.  The Consortium works to improve access to cultural resources throughout New York City, including museums and botanical gardens.

The New York City accent is distinct and unmistakable.  From James Cagney to Woody Allen to Rosie Perez, you know they’re from New York as soon as they open their mouths.  On this week’s Cityscape, we’ll talk with a filmmaker who made a documentary that tells the story of the New York City accent. We'll also take you to an accent slam where New Yorkers competed for the best New York City accent, and we'll talk with an accent-elimination coach who helps people rid themselves of their "fuhgettaboutits."

New York City resident Coss Marte went from being a drug kingpin to a fitness entrepreneur. While serving time in prison he lost 70 pounds thanks to an exercise routine he worked up in his cell. Marte is now out from behind bars and operating a fitness bootcamp in Manhattan based on his prison workout routine.  Marte joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about he how reinvented himself.

In New York City everything is at your finger tips. With so many options for food, music, and culture, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But instead of taking the classic New Yorker approach by kvetching, this week, we’re settling down to dig into a classic Yiddish tradition: the knish.  Our guest is Laura Silver, author of Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food. We'll also pay a visit to the famed Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Once upon a time New York’s garment district employed hundreds of thousands of workers, and produced most of the clothing made in the United States.  But, thanks to outsourcing and technological advances, the district is now just a shadow of what it once was.  Our guest on this edition of Cityscape has fond memories of the garment district’s heyday.  Leonard Bernstein’s family founded a children’s wear business in 1928.  He took over the company in 1953.  Bernstein’s children now run the business, but the Brooklyn native says he can still hear the hum of sewing machines in his head.  Bernstein is now a published author.  He’s written six books, including a collection of short stories in which he draws a lot from his experiences in the garment district.  The collection is called Death By Pastrami.

The Bronx has been experiencing a development boom in recent years with a number of projects sprouting up across the borough, from new hotels to shopping malls. But, it was only a few decades ago when arson fires, rampant crime and poverty made the borough a national symbol of urban decay. On this week's Cityscape, we’re revisiting the Bronx in different eras.  We'll talk with author Avery Corman about his new memoir My Old Neighborhood Remembered, as well with Photographer Stephen Shames about his new book, Bronx Boys.  

New York City is home to famous art collections like the ones at the MET and MoMA. But there’s something to be said about art that blends into the world around us. Here in New York City, art can be found pretty much around every corner, and even down the steepest set of stairs.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring art scenes that live on our streets and in our underground -- from large murals that adorn the sides of buildings to mosaics that help to beautify the subway system. 

For a lot of families this time of year is all about one thing -- tradition.  Many families have their own specific holiday traditions.  For some it’s visiting the tree at Rockefeller Center.  For others it’s cozying up around the fireplace to share stories, or sitting around the television to watch a favorite holiday movie. On this week's Cityscape, we’re focusing our attention on family, togetherness and tradition.

When it comes to toys a lot of focus at this time of year is placed on the North Pole, where Santa and his army of elves are busily preparing to deliver gifts to kids around the world.  But, a lot of people much closer to home are equally committed to brightening the lives of children and adults with toys and games.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re talking with folks in the toy industry in New York City.

New York City is the kind of town that people love, hate, love to hate, or simply put up with until they move on to a new location.  On this week's Cityscape we’re taking a look at two books that capture the essence of the New York of today and of a few decades back:  Terminal Bar: A Photographic Record of New York’s Most Notorious Watering Hole and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York.  

While the holiday season is certainly a time to indulge in delectable desserts, you will never have a problem satisfying your sweet tooth at any time of the year in New York City.  The Big Apple is full of amazing bakers and other dessert makers.  On this week's Cityscape we're exploring the wonderful world of desserts in New York City, including interviews with some of the city's premier dessert makers.

If you want a good laugh there are plenty of places in New York City to get one. On this episode of Cityscape we're looking at the origins of comedy in New York City, and just where to get a laugh in the Big Apple. We're talking with the creator of a comedy stage show that tells the story of one man's lengthy struggle to make it as an actor in New York City while waiting tables, and hear about the successful efforts to get a street in Morningside Heights renamed after the late comedian George Carlin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24. It results in about 4,600 lives lost each year. On this special Strike a Chord program, WFUV's George Bodarky hosts a panel discussion at the BronxNet television studios at Lehman College. This program features the following suicide prevention experts: Dr. Rosa Gil, Executive Director of Communal Life and the organization Life is Precious Jill Harkavy Friedman, Vice President of Research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Allyee Whaley, Crisis Services Coordinator at the Trevor Project

All Saints Day. It’s a day on which Catholics, Anglicans and some others celebrate all the saints, known and unknown. All Saints Day has inspired us at Cityscape to put a show together with a “Saints” theme. This week, we'll talk with a Jesuit priest who knows all about the saints. Fr. James Martin is the author of the book, My Life with the Saints. We'll also hear about efforts to have the Brooklyn-born co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement declared a saint, as well as bring you other Saint-related segments.

It’s a topic that a lot of people don’t like to think about.  But, death is an inevitable reality. Attitudes toward death and dying have changed through the ages, and they continue to evolve.  On this episode of Cityscape, we’re looking at death from different perspectives. We'll take a look at how death is treated in 19th century song, as well as pay a visit to the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn.  The museum aims to demystify death with its exhibits and events.

New York is a city of high-rises – and the buildings here keep getting taller and taller as the years go by.  Have you seen the 90-story condo and hotel tower that went up on West 57th Street in Manhattan?  That and every other skyscraper in the city would never have gotten off the ground if it weren’t for one invention – the elevator. Without that technological innovation buildings would have likely been stunted at around 6 floors.  On this episode of Cityscape, we're delving into the history of the elevator with the founder of the Elevator Historical Society in Long Island City, Queens. We''ll also be bringing you a couple of other elevator-related segments.  

New York City is a culinary melting pot.  Here you’ll find all kinds of foods and dishes -- whether it’s fresh produce from a green market or internationally inspired cuisine.  We’re heading into the kitchen -- literally and figuratively. On this episode of Cityscape, we get advice on cooking in a small kitchen -- something a lot of New Yorkers regularly have to do. We also crack open a new cookbook with greenmarket recipes from some of the city’s finest chefs and visit The Entrepreneur Space, a commercial kitchen in Queens. Bon appetit!

It’s a summer ritual for a lot of people. Head out into the woods, pitch a tent, and tell ghost stories around a campfire. On this episode of Cityscape, we’re telling New York City ghost stories, albeit without a campfire… This morning, we’re bringing you ghost stories. A still present artist Marcel Duchamp reportedly haunts a downtown apartment, the Merchant's House Museum experiences its fair share of the paranormal, and Dan Sturges is here to explain paranormal investigations of all sorts. 

New York City is home to thousands of restaurants and grocery stores, catering to every style of eater from the tame to the adventurous. With so many different cultural options to choose from, it’s no wonder New Yorkers have such a varied palette. On this episode of Cityscape, we’re talking to three New Yorkers who think outside the box when it comes to food: a historic gastronomist who samples the eats of the pioneers, an urban forager who sees the park as a produce section, and the author of Urban Appetites: Food and Culture in 19th Century New York.

Summertime is synonymous with many things, the beach, barbeques, baseball, and something that doesn’t start with a B – movies.  Hollywood is known for releasing some of its biggest and most expensive films of the year during the summer.  On this episode of Cityscape, we’re rollingwith a movies theme, including a look at a top 20 list of the best New York City films of all time. On this episode, Professor Jeffrey Wisotsky gives a list of the "Greatest films that feature New York City": The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola The French Connection, directed by William Friedkin Midnight Cowboy, directed by John Schlesinger The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, directed by Joseph Sargent Serpico, directed by Sidney Lumet Marty, directed by Delbert Mann The Wanderers, directed by Philip Kaufman A Bronx Tale, directed by Robert De Niro Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese  Mean Streets, directed by Martin Scorsese Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese Manhattan, directed by Woody Allen Annie Hall, directed by Woody Allen The Naked City, directed by Jules Dassin Do The Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee Wild Style, directed by Charlie Ahern The Warriors, directed by Walter Hill After Hours, directed by Martin Scorsese Saturday Night Fever, directed by John Badham West Side Story, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise    

If New York City streets could talk they probably would never shut up.  They would go on and on about tales of the people who came before us.  A new book explores the stories of many iconic New Yorkers dating back hundreds of years.  It’s calledFootprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers.  The authors, James and Michelle Nevius, a husband and wife tour guide team, are our guests on this week's Cityscape.   

New York is a city obsessed with real estate.  When it comes to celebrities, we’re intrigued to find out who lives where, and marvel at the high prices they paid for their apartments.  We love to catch a glimpse inside the windows of historic townhouses or high priced co-ops on 5th Avenue.  We want to know how much rent our friends or colleagues are shelling out for that one bedroom in Willamsburg, and perhaps more importantly how’d they manage to snag such a sweet apartment.

New York is often referred to as the concrete jungle. The paved and developed landscape offers plenty of advantages to its residents. But, there’s a lot to be said for having access to green spaces as well. Not only are trees, flowers, and other plantlife easy on the eyes, they’re important components of a healthy and balanced ecosystem.   As part of our Strike a Chord campaign, WFUV’s been featuring public service announcements, news stories, and programming, highlighting the efforts of community gardeners and others working to green the Metropolitan region. In this one hour special, we'll hear from:    Steve Frillman of the Green Guerillas Deborah Martin is the Executive Director of the New York Restoration Project Shalini Beath is the deputy director of Million Trees NYC Ursula Chance, Director of Bronx Green-up, the New York Botanical Garden's community outreach program Jason Alosio, a PhD candidate of biology, and urban ecologist. He's the founder of St. Rose's Garden at Fordham Lisa Fabish of Pleasant Villiage community garden in East Harlem      

When you think of a monk, you might picture a quiet man tucked away in the isolated wilderness, shrouded in mystery.  But on this week's Cityscape, we’re bringing you the "Urban Monk," whose monastery on Manhattan's Lower East Side is anything but secluded.  Gadadhara Pandit Dasa joins us to talk about his new book Urban Monk: Exploring Karma, Consciousness and the Divine.

It’s a scene we’ve seen countless times in the movies and on television.  A woman is walking down the street and is catcalled by a group of men working on a nearby construction site.  It’s typically portrayed as a laughing matter, but that kind of behavior is rooted in a much more serious issue.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re taking a close look at the issue of street harassment. Our panelists include: Debjani Roy, Deputy Director of Hollaback Brittany Braithwaite, Community Organizer of Girls For Gender Equity Joe Samalin, blogger for Stop Street Harassment  

Scammers come at us from all angles.  They target us on the street, on the internet, and pretty much everywhere in between.  On this week’s Cityscape, we’re exploring scams in New York City, from a Craigslist rental scam to a psychic reading rip-off.

If you live or work in New York City, you’ve definitely passed them on the street. Maybe you’ve even hung around to listen to them, or pitched a dollar into one of their instrument cases. Whether underground, in the park, or on the sidewalk, buskers are a way of New York City life.  On this week's Cityscape, we're delving into the world of buskers in New York City, from a 12-year-old cellist to a woman who plays the saw.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day -- a time to honor the women in our lives who’ve loved and nurtured us through the years. A lot of us will do that with a greeting card -- perhaps one with a pretty picture of a flower on the cover and a poignant saying inside. But, what if moms had the chance to write their own greetings? In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked some moms to write and share their personal essays about motherhood.

In a big city like New York, it’s easy to fall through the cracks.  On this week's Cityscape we have stories of things lost and found, from lip balm to pets.  We’ll also visit New York City Transit's lost property unit, and a Brooklyn beach that's a treasure trove of interesting items.

Every week WFUV's Cityscape brings you stories about the people, places, and spirit of New York. It's our own weekly love letter to this great city.  In conjunction with WFUV's Spring membership drive, we’ve prepared some of our favorite segments about the fascinating places we’ve explored and interesting characters we’ve met along the way, from the woman who runs a troll museum on Manhattan's Lower East Side to the volunteers who ring the bells in the tower of Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan.

A mask is a barrier between ourselves and the world. It conceals our identity and can free us in some way from our societal restrictions.  Think about how liberated people sometimes feel on Halloween.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re talking about masks, and our fascination with them.  We'll look at how masks are created and used in performance, as well as why some people wear metaphorical masks every day to protect themselves.

False accusations cover a wide spectrum. Maybe someone has mistaken you for a celebrity, or maybe someone spread a rumor about you. But some false accusations have long and lasting consequences.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring the most extreme types of false accusations -- those that result in wrongful imprisonment.

A lot of research has been conducted over the years on the risks and benefits of being on either side of the height spectrum.  For example, studies have shown that taller people score slightly higher on IQ tests than shorter people, and are more likely to be bitten by bugs than their vertically-challenged counterparts.  On the other hand, research shows short people are more likely to outlive their taller peers, but are still at a greater risk of developing heart disease.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring what it’s like to be tall and short in New York City.  Our guests include the president of the Tall Club of New York City and Peter Manning, the founder of a Brooklyn-based clothing line for men 5'8" and under.  We'll also talk with Joshua Fischer with Snap Interactive, maker of the on-line dating site AYI.com about a survey that shows short men in New York City have trouble finding dates. And we'll hear from Olivier Rabbath, an artist and shoemaker from Brooklyn, who makes shoes for super large feet.

Catherine “Kitty” Genovese is known most commonly for the circumstances surrounding her death. She was brutally attacked and killed in the courtyard of her building in Kew Gardens, Queens one March night 50 years ago.  Her murder crystallized a new psychological concept known as the bystander effect.  Thirty-eight people reportedly witnessed the attack and did nothing to help. But is that really how things played out on March 13th, 1964?  Kevin Cook says not exactly.  He's the author of a new book called Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America.  Cook is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

On Monday February 17th we celebrate the birthdays of two of the most famous US Presidents. George Washington turns 282 this month, and honest Abe turns 205. You might not know it, but both presidents have historical roots right here in New York City. On this week's Cityscape, we’re celebrating Presidents Day by exploring moments of presidential history that took place in our own backyard.

New York is home to a lot of survivors; big and small. So it’s no surprise that a super weather resistant cockroach has found its way to the Big Apple. The non-native species was recently discovered on the elevated park in Lower Manhattan known as the High Line. That finding got us thinking about other survivors that live among us. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with folks who’ve endured extreme circumstances and lived to tell about them.

Handmade products are held in high esteem New York City, even in the midst of a society obsessed with efficiency and technology. An object made by hand is the result of countless hours of practice and experimentation, it is the fruit of someone’s labor and it comes from the heart of its creator. On this week's Cityscape, we’re getting our hands dirty, talking to local artisans and craftspeople who dedicate themselves to creating with their bare hands.

New York City is known for being a loud, bustling city. You can walk down any street and hear sirens, car horns, music and people talking about pretty much anything. But, coming up on this edition of Cityscape, we’re turning down the volume, by focusing on events in New York City where silence is key, including a silent dining experience in Brooklyn.

Winter is here, for the next three long months. We’re all familiar with the phrase the winter blues, but how do you get through the dark, cold months without getting the doldrums? On this week’s Cityscape, we’re looking at ways to avoid letting the winter get the best of you. We’ll be talking with a clinical psychiatrist about ways to beat “cabin fever,” as well as simply searching out fun things to do to get your mind off the cold.

Food pantries and soup kitchens provide a lifeline to countless individuals and families in need of assistance. They often get a ton of volunteers around the holidays, but food pantries and soup kitchens need help all year long.  As part of WFUV’s Strike a Chord Campaign, this episode of Cityscape takes a look at the demand for emergency food assistance in New York City, and the efforts of food pantries and soup kitchens to meet that demand. 

The big city is full of bright lights, but since daylight saving ends this weekend, it’s time to turn back the clocks and extend darkness a little longer. With that in mind, we're focusing on clocks and darkness on this week's Cityscape. We'll pay a visit to a good old-fashioned clock repair shop in Manhattan. We’re also talking about how the invention of artificial lighting influenced the work of writers and artists in early New York City, and attending a dance party in the dark in Brooklyn.

Think back to your childhood. What were your dreams? How did you see your life playing out before the realities of adulthood set in? How many of those dreams came true?  On this week's Cityscape, we’re talking about childhood dreams relived and realized.

While not as glorified in popular media and guide books as Manhattan or Brooklyn, Queens contributes a whole lot to what makes New York City, New York City. It's home to the city's two airports, the city's only working farm, and a whole lot more. In this encore edition of Cityscape, we're exploring what's touted as the most ethnically diverse county in the United States.

Between 250 and 300-thousand men and women from New York City served in the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. 1,741 of them lost their lives. Their names are displayed at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza in lower Manhattan. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re looking at Vietnam from a New York City point of view.

Does the clack clack sound of typewriter keys make you nostalgic? How about the crackle of vinyl spinning on a record player? You may consider typewriters and record players relics of the past, but there are plenty of people keeping them alive and well. In this episode of Cityscape we talk with people using machines from decades past.

At any time of year in New York City, the smell of warm pretzels wafts through the streets. Most hot dog vendors sell them from their carts. But many New Yorkers say they don’t taste as good as they smell, so chefs have been introducing new twists to the salted bread. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re digging our teeth into the pretzel.

You mostly hear New Yorkers complaining about pigeons, but there are many people whose love for the birds runs deep. Even former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson called pigeons his first love, having grown up surrounded by them in his Brooklyn neighborhood. Today, Tyson races pigeons. His passion for the sport even spawned a reality show on Animal Planet called Taking on Tyson. But as you’ll hear on this edition of Cityscape, pigeons have a polarizing influence on New Yorkers. They either love 'em or hate 'em… Some interesting pigeon facts: • Although pigeons are considered by many to be dirty and disease-ridden, there’s little evidence linking pigeons directly to infections in humans. The New York City Department of Health states only contact in high exposure with pigeon droppings can pose a small health risk. • Despite common perception, there is no law that prohibits pigeon feeding everywhere in New York City. That said, the Parks Department posts notices in many areas prohibiting feeding. So it’s OK to feed the pigeons as long as there are no signs saying you can’t. • Paul Julius Reuter founded the Reuters news agency, which got its start using pigeons bearing news and stock prices between Berlin and Paris. Carrier pigeons were much faster than the post train.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} A mental illness is a medical condition that causes mild to severe disturbances in thinking, perception and behavior.  Recovery is possible. But there are many misconceptions about mental illness, which can lead to a variety of problems, like troubling finding work or housing.  As part of WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign, this week’s Cityscape is focusing its attention on mental illness and efforts to combat the stereotypes. 

Walking around the streets of New York City, its usually hard not to peer into the windows of the apartments and brownstones you pass and comparing the space to your own. Connie Rosenblum was the author of the "Habitats" column published in the Real Estate section of the New York Times. She used real estate as the gateway to telling the stories of New York City residents, of all boroughs and backgrounds. She's put together expanded versions of a selection of the "Habitats" column in a book called Habitats: Private Lives in the Big City. This week on Cityscape we hear some of those stories.

Mental illness is a topic a lot of us are reluctant to talk about. That’s due in large part to the many misconceptions about mental illness, which can lead to a wide variety of problems, from discrimination at work to difficulty finding housing. Coming up in June, WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign will turn its attention to helping to combat the stigma of mental illness. We're getting a jump start on that campaign on this week's Cityscape as we sit down with actress Glenn Close and members of her family who are living with mental illness. Close co-founded an organization called Bring Change 2 Mind, which works to address misconceptions about mental illness.

Her story reads like a Hollywood film: A woman who seems healthy is quarantined on a remote island off New York City because it’s feared she’s spreading a deadly disease. Mary Mallon – better known as Typhoid Mary -- spent much of her life quarantined on North Brother Island.  So close, but yet so far away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.  She was the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever. Author Mary Beth Keane penned a novel based on Mary Mallon's life. It's called "Fever," and we're talking with her on this week's Cityscape.

Sunday is Mother’s Day. A day to celebrate moms and all they do. But not any one relationship between a mother and child is the same. On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring the role of mothers in our lives and in society. Our guests include the founder of the Museum of Motherhood in Manhattan.

New York City is a great big playground for kids. Take a journey through the five boroughs and you’ll find plenty of kid-friendly activities, from museums to outdoor fairs. On this week's Cityscape, we'll explore many of the cool things kids can see and do in New York City. We'll also talk with the author of a new book that helps young learners gain a better understanding of the Big Apple’s rich history.

In the musical Annie, the lead character meets and comforts a stray dog named Sandy. Every dog that’s played Sandy since Annie’s world premiere in 1976 has been a rescue. On this week's Cityscape, we'll meet the man who found and trained that original Sandy, and has since turned countless other shelter animals into Broadway and Hollywood stars. William Berloni writes about rescuing animals and turning them into stars in his book Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars.

As the song goes, if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere.  A lot people come to New York City to follow their dreams, but the road to fulfillment can sometimes be a bumpy one. On this week's Cityscape we're looking into the challenges people sometimes face as they try to make it in New York City, including artists and new immigrants.

On this edition of Cityscape, we're exploring some traditional Easter themes with inspiration from rabbits and dyed eggs. We'll get advice from the International House Rabbit Society on how to best take care of a rabbit, and we'll also talk with the owners of Long Island City-based Manic Panic, an internationally renowed hair dye and cosmetics company known for their funky hair dye colors. And we'll check in with a moving company that fits the theme only in name. The moving company "Rabbit Movers" has a staff comprised entirely of artists.

How does one go from rubbing elbows with likes of Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor to finding themselves in the midst of the Attica Prison riot in 1971?  Our guest on this edition of Cityscape is David Rothenberg.  Rothenberg is the founder of the Fortune Society, an organization that helps ex-convicts get their lives back on track. He launched the Fortune Society in 1967, but before that he was a press agent for some of the most successful Broadway productions of the 20th century, including Richard Burton’s Hamlet and Hair. So what lured him away from the bright lights of Broadway to a life of helping people leaving the dark world of prison?  Rothenberg joins us to talk about his new book Fortune in My Eyes:  A Memoir of Broadway Glamour, Social Justice and Political Passion.

Superstorm Sandy showed us all how easy it is to lose everything in an instant. Hundreds of people were left homeless from the storm -- highlighting the need for more emergency housing in times of crisis. As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, on this edition of Cityscape we're highlighting non-profit organizations in the tri-state area that assist people with housing needs in various situations, not just catastrophes like Sandy. We'll talk with a Long Island organization that helps young mothers with nowhere to go, a group that helps heart patients and their families with housing needs, and an organization that provides housing assistance to struggling musicians.

March is National Noodle Month, declared by the National Pasta Association. In this noodle themed edition of Cityscape we'll hear from the family of Shorty Tang, purveyor of a popular noodle dish in 1960s and 70s New York City that still remains in the memories of people who ate it. We'll also learn about where to get the best noodles in the city from Zagat and talk with a Japanophile turned Ramen guru about his upcoming Lower East Side noodle shop. This episode is guest hosted by Cityscape producer Morlene Chin.

New York City’s constantly evolving. But, there are some institutions in the city that have stood the test of time. This year marks the 100th anniversary of at least three of them – Grand Central Terminal, the Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan and El Diaro – the nation’s longest publishing Spanish language daily newspaper. On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring the history and impact of all three New York City staples.

You might be familiar with the names Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux -- they're the creators of Central Park. But, have you ever heard of John Randel Jr.? This often unrecognized 19th century genius also played an instrumental role in the development of the New York City we know and love today. Learn all about the guy who plotted Manhattan's famous street grid on this week's Cityscape. We'll also talk with a modern-day surveyor in New York City.

If you could go back to the time before the sprawling skyscrapers of today’s New York City, you’d find a different city, full of horse drawn carriages and men in hats and dark suits. In other cases you’d see that some parts of the city haven’t changed much at all. An architectural photographer recreated scenes from turn of the century photos by climbing, flying and leaning over precarious structures to capture images from the same spot as his earlier counterparts. He presents the old and new photos side by side in a book called New York Then and Now. Evan Joseph is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

A lot of progress has been made over the years to reduce health disparities in New York City, but substantial inequalities remain among New Yorkers of different economic, racial and ethnic groups. On this week's Cityscape, we’re taking a closer look at health issues facing New York City’s immigrant communities.

New York City’s filled with people of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and backgrounds. Many are born and bred here. Others move to the big city to fulfill their dreams. Former Mayor Ed Koch once said you’re a true New Yorker after living in the Big Apple for at least 10 years. But, nevertheless, battles sometimes erupt over when you can say you’re from New York despite your place of origin. This week we’re hearing from a born and bred New Yorker, a transplant, and a writer who lived in New York City, left and isn’t looking back.

Superstorm Sandy hit the tri-state area two months ago this Saturday. The storm flooded streets, highways, tunnels, buildings, and homes, and crippled the region's public transit system. Many places are still struggling to rebound from the storm, including the Rockaways in Queens. On this week's Cityscape, we’re taking a look at efforts to help residents of the hard-hit Rockaways rebuild their homes and lives in the aftermath of Sandy.

Kids today confront age old problems. Abuse, drugs, gang violence, living with dysfunctional families, teenage pregnancy. The list goes on and on. Many organizations in New York City work to keep young people out of trouble, some with more unique approaches, including one that uses basketball to keep kids on the straight and narrow.

Hanukkah,the festival of lights, begins at sundown Saturday. On this week's Cityscape, a renowned storyteller and a singer-guitarist combine their talents to share a Hanukkah tale. Also this week, they say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. But, Times Square is not the only place in New York City where neon lights shine brightly. Architectural designer Thomas Rinaldi spent a number of years cataloging neon signs around the city. Signs that are slowly disappearing as lighting technology changes. Rinaldi joins us to talk about his new book appropriately titled New York Neon.

The holiday season is a time for celebrating with family, friends and colleagues. Quite often those get-togethers involve alcohol, and for that reason law enforcement officials say drunk driving is of particular concern right now. On this week's Cityscape, we're focusing our attention on drunk driving issues, including an interview with a Manhattan man who lost his 11-year-old daughter in a drunk driving accident in 2009.

Superstorm Sandy destroyed thousands of homes in her path and flooded countless others.  People all along the upper East Coast, including in New York City, are now faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their homes and lives. On this week's Cityscape, we're focusing our attention on rebuilding in the aftermath of Sandy.

With the economy the way it is, more and more families are relying on dual incomes and need somewhere for their kids to go after school. As part of WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign, this week’s Cityscape is focusing its attention on after-school programs.

New York City's still reeling from Superstorm Sandy. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with folks on the front lines of the relief efforts. We're also looking at the city's decision to cancel the New York City marathon.

The holiday season is a time for celebrating with family, friends and colleagues. Quite often those get-togethers involve alcohol, and for that reason law enforcement officials say drunk driving is of particular concern right now. On this week's Cityscape, we're focusing our attention on drunk driving issues, including an interview with a Manhattan man who lost his 11-year-old daughter in a drunk driving accident in 2009.

As Halloween creeps closer, this week we’re exploring New York's creepy side with J.W. Ocker, author of The New York Grimpendium: A Guide to Macabre and Ghastly Sites in New York State. Also, forget trick or treating -- the founders of a Brooklyn-based candy company will tell us how to make candy in our very own kitchens. Jen King and Liz Gutman of Liddabit Sweets are out with a new candy cookbook.

With election day inching closer and closer, we’re focusing our attention on presidential politics on this week's Cityscape. We'll talk with an NYU religious studies professor about the role faith plays in politics. We'll also check in with a presidential studies professor at Hofstra University about the impact debates have on White House runs. And, we'll talk with a New York City-based artist who is making his creative voice heard this election season with an exhibit titled Your Land/My Land: Election ’12. The exhibit is being staged simultaneously at museums across the U.S., including at the New Museum in New York City.

New York City’s home to world famous art museums, like the MET, MoMA and the Guggenheim. But, on this week's Cityscape we’re discovering art in the unlikeliest of places – including a hair salon and hospital examination rooms

People spend a lot of time on the streets of Manhattan looking up at the skyscrapers that surround them. But not many people get to look at the city from above unless it’s from an observatory like the one at the Empire State Building or on Top of the Rock. On this week's Cityscape we’re seeing the city through the lens of two photographers with different vantage points. Alex MacLean photographs the city from the air and Stewart Mader captures unique views of New York (and occasionally other cities) from rooftops, balconies, and other vantage points above the street.

Picture it. New York City minus the high-rise buildings. Anyone who wants to get a glimpse of what the city looked like before all of the concrete, should look no further than the New York Botanical Garden. On this week's Cityscape we’ll pay a visit to a 50-acre native forest in the Bronx. We'll also go foraging for food in Central Park, and we're not talking about looking for the nearest hot dog vendor. We're talking about seeking out edible plants. Believe it or not, Central Park is ripe for the picking.

When people think of New York's islands, they think of Manhattan, City Island, Coney Island or Staten Island. But there are more than three dozen other islands scattered throughout the city's waters, each with their own rich history and unique identity. On this week's Cityscape, we’ll be learning all about New York’s “other” islands.

Kids today confront age old problems -- abuse, drugs, gang violence, living with dysfunctional families, teenage pregnancy. The list goes on and on. Many organizations in New York City work to keep young people out of trouble, some with more unique approaches, including one that uses basketball to keep kids on the straight and narrow.  On this week's Cityscape, a panel discussion on youth issues in New York City.

Even in today’s digital age, chalk is still a common instrument for communication and artistic expression. Teachers use it to write out lessons. Kids use sidewalks and chalk to let their imaginations run wild. On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring chalk as a powerful tool for communication and self-expression. The show includes: An interview with a sidewalk artist. A look at a program in Northern Manhattan that uses chalk art to spread a message about living a healthy lifestyle. A look at why doctors on Ellis Island put chalk marks on immigrants they deemed ill.

It’s a summer tradition for a lot of New Yorkers – escaping the city for the serenity of the Hamptons. Dan Rattiner knows all about the summer hotspot. He’s been writing about it for years. Dan founded the free weekly newspaper, Dan’s Papers, in 1960. He was just 20 years old then. He’s still a staple on the East End of Long Island and out with a new book called Still in the Hamptons: More Tales of the Rich, the Famous and the Rest of Us. Dan's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

No doubt there are a lot of political junkies out there who spend a good deal of time flipping between cable news channels. But, you also have people who are deeply concerned about issues like the economy and education who don't follow the political process too closely. Getting people more engaged is critical to ensuring candidates address the issues facing ALL Americans. With the November elections inching closer, many organizations are in overdrive working to get people more excited to head to the polls and have their voices heard. And they have their work cut out for them. Voter turnout here in New York City is low with a capital "L". WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign on electoral engagement continues this weekend on Cityscape with a look at various efforts to boost political consciousness in New York City and beyond.

Inspired by the furry friends they work with every day, the New York City-based band Pet-Rox is made up of pet professionals of all stripes. The group was founded by a veterinarian, but also includes a cat rescuer and a whole host of others in the animal welfare community. Pet-Rox has just completed their first album called "Just Sniffing Around.” The group’s founder, lead singer and rhythm guitarist Doctor Jeffery Levy, as well as two members of the band, Jackie Krim and Leslie Hughs, recently joined us in WFUV’s very own studio A.

On this week's Cityscape, author Andrew Goldstein talks about his debut novel, The Bookie’s Son. The coming of age tale draws on Goldstein’s own childhood in the Bronx in the 1960s. It's told through the eyes of 12-year-old Ricky Davis, who wants to rescue his parents from themselves -- and from the ravages his father's gambling habit threatens to wreak on his family.

Street food in New York City has a long and rich history. In fact, pushcart vending in New York dates all the way back to the late 1600’s. Fast forward more than three centuries, and street food is as popular as ever. On this week's Cityscape, we’re digging into street food culture in New York City, and exploring what it takes to get into the food truck business. Also, a cemetery might be the last place you’d think to go to explore the city’s culinary past. But, Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx is the final resting place of a veritable who’s who of culinary greats. The cemetery recently held a tour of noteworthy gravesites related to the city’s food history. On this week's show, we'll pay the cemetery a visit to learn more about the famous foodies buried there.

Saturday is “It’s My Park Day” in New York City -- an annual event in which New Yorkers give a little back to their favorite parks. Residents in all five boroughs will be taking time to spruce up parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods. It’s volunteer efforts like this one that New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe says make a big difference in the care and upkeep of parks. Commissioner Benepe is our guest on this week's Cityscape. He'll talk with us about the state of the city’s parks system and a whole bunch more, including how music helps to inspire him to build and maintain parks.

It’s the kind of story that keeps moviegoers on the edge of their seats -- a lethal pandemic quickly spreads through a crowded city as the medical community races to stop it. But, throughout history, health officials in New York City have had their own real-life dramas dealing with disease, including bouts with smallpox.  Today there are vaccines available to protect adults and children against at least 17 diseases, but health officials sometimes struggle to convince people that vaccines are safe. A new exhibit set to open Tuesday at the New-York Historical Society explores the history of vaccination, including the conflict between the need to manage disease in an urban environment and the rights of individuals to resist government interference in their private lives. Joining us on this week's Cityscape is the exhibition’s team, as well as an immunization expert from the New York City Health Department.

For an artist, inspiration can strike at any moment. Something as simple as a sunset might inspire a painter to reach for a brush. The birth of a child might prompt a musician to pen a new song. But, it’s not always happy occasions that spark an artist to launch a new project. On this week’s Cityscape, we’ll talk with New York City artists who are turning cancer diagnoses into artistic statements.

On this week’s Cityscape, host George Bodarky's conversation with author Steven Schrader, whose dad was known as a "king of 7th Avenue fashion." Schrader’s new book, called Threads, explores his childhood in Washington Heights in the 40’s and 50’s, his strained relationship with his dressmaking guru father, and the road he took to becoming a published writer.

We’re all familiar with the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” But, for some people, that goes far beyond just separating their trash into paper, plastic and glass. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re talking with people who keep New York City’s history and character alive by turning the old into something new, including an artist who turns newspaper bins into aquariums and police barricades into tables. 

We couldn't find a time-traveling portal to take us back to 19th century New York City, so we did the next best thing.  On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with New Yorkers who incorporate the 19th century into their modern-day lives.

Late 19th century New York City was not the city we know and love today. In 1895, when Theodore Roosevelt began his stint as police commissioner, corruption was rampant, and the city was teeming with prostitutes and gambling joints.  On this week's show, we’re looking back on those sin-loving days in New York City, with the author of a new book called Island of Vice.  We'll also hear about opportunities to walk the same floor boards as those who came before us from the Executive Director of the Historic House Trust of New York City.

St. Patrick's Day is a big deal in New York City. Even people who don't have a drop of Irish blood in their veins wear green and celebrate the day. On this week's Cityscape, we're getting into the spirit of the Irish with an exploration of Irish history and culture in New York City.

The subject of bullying frequently dominates the headlines, but coming up on Monday, March 19th, the issue will take center stage on Broadway. A non-profit organization called What’s the Benefit has created a fantasy-rock musical that explores the effects of bullying. The one-night only performance will benefit Operation Respect, an anti-bullying group founded by Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary fame.

Over the last few weeks, and continuing through mid-March, WFUV has been giving animals a voice – by showcasing organizations that work to care for and protect animals in public service announcements. And this week, we're featuring a series of special reports on animal welfare in our daily newscasts. On this week's Cityscape, we’re continuing our coverage of animal welfare issues. Our program includes a look at efforts to reduce New York City's feral cat population, as well as a peek inside a pet food pantry in Westchester County.

We've all heard the saying "birds of a feather flock together" -- meaning people of similar tastes hang out with each other. On this week's Cityscape, we catch up with "birds of a feather" groups in New York City, including a ukulele meetup and a juggling club. We'll also talk with a psychiatrist to get a better understanding of what drives the "birds of a feather" mentality.

New York City’s saturated with advertisements. They’re on buses, in the subways, atop taxis, and along highways. But, it’s not the newest Calvin Klein ad that catches the attention of acclaimed photographer and urban documentarian Frank Jump. He likes to document so-called ghost signs in the city. These ads from a bygone era are visible, but often overlooked -- and for Jump, they’re also a metaphor for his own long survival with HIV. Several of Jump’s photographs are included in a new book called Fading Ads of New York City. Jump is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

We’ve all come across bad manners in our lifetime, the straphanger who spits in front of us on the subway platform – the man or woman who cuts into the line at the deli. But, while it’s easy to spot bad manners, it’s harder to recognize good manners in today’s fast-paced, digital society. In his book, Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?: A Modern Guide to Manners, author Henry Alford aims to find out what good manners look like in an era of constantly beeping cell phones and live-tweeting. Alford's our guest on this week's on Cityscape.

A lot of songs have been written over the years about work. From Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 to The Who’s The Dirty Jobs to Rose Royce’s Car Wash. Veteran Bronx defense attorney Elliott Shapiro writes songs about work. In fact, he’s penned a number of tunes that reflect his more than 40-year-legal career. He joined Cityscape Host George Bodarky in WFUV’s very own Studio A to perform some of his songs and talk about life in the courthouse.

If you want to transport yourself to a place much more exotic or mysterious than New York City, you can most certainly achieve that goal through an expensive vacation. But, another way to immerse yourself in a foreign land is through a good book. From the state of independent booksellers to a Manhattan hotel with a library theme, this week's Cityscape is all about books.

In today's economic climate, knowing how to manage money effectively and make well-informed financial decisions is critical for everyone. As part of WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign on financial literacy, this week's show is all about money matters.

Autumn officially arrives this week, and that means the days will grow shorter and shorter until the winter solstice on December 22nd. But, an early nightfall has its bright sides, including more time to spot owls in the city. On this week's Cityscape, we'll go owl watching in Central Park, as well as get some tips on taking nighttime photos.

When it comes to murky waters, it doesn’t get much murkier than Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. In fact, the waterway was once dubbed “Lavender Lake” for its purplish chemical hue. The Environmental Protection Agency designated the 1-point-8 mile canal a Superfund site in March 2010. On this week's Cityscape, we're learning all about the Gowanus.

September 11th, 2001 is a date that will forever weigh heavily on the minds of Americans. On this week's Cityscape, we're reflecting on the events of ten years ago with a museum curator, a journalist and artists, including singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield, who penned a song about the forever changed Manhattan skyline.

New York City is known for a lot of things – its skyscrapers, its frenetic energy, and let’s not forget -- its accent. It’s not New York…it’s New Yawk. It’s not coffee…it’s cawfee. And for some people… it’s not 33rd and 3rd...it's Toidy Toid and Toid. That’s a more classic pronunciation that you’re probably less likely to hear on the streets today. In fact, some say New York’s accent is disappearing as the city becomes more gentrified. On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring the NYC accent.

Great inventors of the past have influenced the world we live in today. Thomas Edison gave us the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio – we’re especially thankful for that one. And let’s not forget Brooklyn born inventor George Lerner for his famous American Toy, Mr. Potatohead. Today, the Big Apple is home to the creators of many interesting inventions, from a solar powered, MP3 charging bikini to a hoodie that takes photos when your heart rate increases. This week, we’re talking with modern day inventors based in New York City.

Greenwich Village, also referred to as just “The Village,” is a largely residential part of Manhattan, and was once known as a Mecca for artists and writers like Bob Dylan and Jack Kerouac. Though surges in rent have sent many starving artists to other neighborhoods, bohemian culture continues to pervade the coffee shops, bars and bookstores of this historic district. On this week's Citsycape, we're immersing ourselves in the "culture" of Greenwich Village.

On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring the "People's Palace" -- the New York Public Library's main branch on 5th Avenue. We'll delve into the architecture and decoration of the building, and look into other aspects of the 100-year-old institution.

If you live in an old house, chances are many, many people walked the same floors and slept in the same rooms over the years. But, have you ever wondered who they were, what their lives were like? On this week’s Cityscape, a Manhattan resident shares her story of uncovering the long history of her Lower East Side rowhouse, after finding out it was in jeopardy of collapse. Katharine Greider's new book is called The Archaeology of Home: An Epic Set on a Thousand Square Feet of the Lower East Side.

Neighborhood parks are the focal point of many communities.  Kids frolic in playgrounds, people read on shaded benches, or simply meet and converse with their neighbors.  As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, we're focusing our attention on neighborhood parks, including the people who help keep them vibrant. 

In New York, like in many American cities, mom-and-pop shops are slowly disappearing. Owners who can no longer afford their rent abruptly fold, retire with no one in the family interested in taking over the business, or simply decide it’s not worth competing against the big box store that opened up down the street. On this week’s Cityscape, the disappearing face of New York. We’ll talk with a husband and wife photography team who’ve made it their mission to document generations-old storefronts before the shops vanish forever. We’ll also pay a visit to some New York City establishments that have somehow managed to buck the trend and stand the test of time. Like JJ Hat Center in Manhattan, billed as the oldest hat shop in all of New York City.

The term addiction often conjures up images of people struggling to kick bad habits with alcohol or drugs, but people can get addicted to all kinds of things. On this week's Cityscape, we’re taking a closer look at addiction, from people who literally can’t get enough of video games to a Manhattan woman who says she’s addicted to ventriloquism.

Between work, chores and everything in between, it can be hard to find time to relax. But, experts say it’s vital to balance work and play, and some say there’s no better way to decompress than to engage in a hobby. On this week's Cityscape, we’re getting our “hobby-on,” from Lego building to model boat sailing. We'll also pay a visit to an old-school hobby shop in Astoria, Queens.

If you somehow missed the ads for flowers, jewelry or brunch specials -- Sunday is Mother’s Day. On this week's Cityscape, we're celebrating motherhood with several mom-related segments, including an interview with a Manhattan woman who became a single mom by choice.

Domestic violence knows no boundaries. It can happen to anyone – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, orientation or socio-economic status. On this week's Cityscape, we're shining a light on the dark subject of domestic violence, including domestic abuse in the Muslim and LGBT communities.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} It’ll be all Greek to New York Sunday (3/27/11), as the annual Greek Independence Day Parade makes its way through Manhattan’s 5th Avenue.  This year’s event celebrates the 190th anniversary of Greek independence from Turkish rule.   The parade’s a city tradition, dating back to 1938.  It found a home on 5th Avenue in 1951. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re exploring all things Greek, from ancient literature to the cuisine.

We all face a new set of challenges as we get older.  All this month, WFUV has been highlighting organizations that work to assist older adults as part of our Strike a Chord campaign.  We’ve also been delving into many of the issues that impact seniors.  This week on Cityscape, we’ll be continuing that exploration, including a look into the lives of grandparents tasked with raising their grandchildren and LGBT seniors.

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Death – a lot of us try to avoid the subject at all costs, but it’s the one inevitable part of life.  On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring death from a variety of perspectives, including that of 19th century New York City.  We'll also hear from a New York Times obituary writer and talk with an expert in end-of-life planning at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

Staten Island Chuck and Punxatawney Phil agreed this winter won’t last much longer, but with the wacky weather we’ve experienced this season, it’s hard to tell what to expect. We still have more than 20 days to go until the first day of Spring, so this week we're sharing some ways to help make the last bit of winter warm and cozy in New York City. On this week's Cityscape, we'll visit a tropical oasis in the Bronx, a hot chocolate festival in Manhattan and other warm places. 

Tuesday marks the first day of winter.  New York City can get pretty cold this time of year.  You might say "as cold as stone," which, not so coincidentally, is the theme of this week's Citsycape.  Today we're taking a closer look at stone architecture in the Big Apple.     

For some, a dive bar invokes images of decaying, money-losing watering holes for nasty old drunks. For others, a dive bar is a hip spot where there's glamour in the grit.  On this week's Cityscape, we explore New York City's diviest dive bars.  Plus, how the rock band Van Halen brought a Bronx mom and one of her kids closer together.  

Do you remember playing your first instrument in school?  Maybe it was a flute, a trumpet, the drums or perhaps the piano.  Today, music education's facing an uncertain future because of budget cuts, but there's a movement underfoot advocating to implement and preserve music education in public schools.  As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, we're exploring efforts to keep music alive in schools, including the advocacy of Broadway legend Carol Channing and Bon Jovi keyboardist David Byran.    

This Saturday is National Boss Day and we're marking the occasion by talking about some famous and infamous bosses in New York City history, from Boss Tweed to "The Boss," George Steinbrenner.

Where can you find a greenmarket, a statue of Gandhi and a sculpture that blows smoke?  Union Square, of course.  On this week's Cityscape we explore the universe of Union Square. 

Next weekend, New Yorkers and tourists alike will get the chance to snoop around at sites throughout the city that are typically off limits to the public.  It's all part of Open House New York weekend.  The event provides an all access pass to hundreds of New York landmarks, businesses, parks and even private homes.  On this morning Cityscape, we're taking a sneak peek at some of the places that'll be open for view during Open House New York weekend, Saturday, October 9th and Sunday, October 10th.   

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Nine years ago today, terrorists attacked.  The twin towers collapsed.  Nearly 3,000 people were killed.  However, amid the tragedies of 9/11, hope was literally born.  An estimated 10,000 American families welcomed a new baby into the world on September 11th, 2001.  A couple of those families share their stories on this week's Cityscape.      

Next Saturday marks the 9 year anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.   Over the past several years, we’ve heard a lot about the illnesses that have afflicted rescue and recovery workers who toiled at the site.  But, on this week's Cityscape, we focus more specifically on the plight of those who lived, worked and studied in the area around ground zero.  Our guests include a computer programmer who worked on the 68th floor of the south tower.  She developed asthma shortly after her exposure to 9/11 dust and debris.

These days the mere sight of a mattress left on the street is enough to make your skin crawl. But, the fear of bedbugs is justified.  The blood sucking insects are a growing problem in New York City.   In fact, not even the city’s most iconic building is safe.  Bedbugs were recently found at the Empire State Building.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re focusing our attention on bedbugs and other pesky critters.  

Research shows the majority of adults in New York City are overweight or obese and the statistics for children aren't much rosier.  Studies show 4 in 10 elementary school children are in the same category.  On this week's Cityscape, we look into why obesity is such a problem and what city officials are doing to address the matter.  Also, one woman shares her very personal battle with weight issues.

Over the years, Manhattan's Lower East Side has produced a number of famous artists, including Luther Vandross.  But, little is heard about those who made it only to the fringe of success. Benny Bell grew up on the Lower East Side and dreamed of being the next Irving Berlin. He wrote and sung hundreds of songs, many of them double entendre novelty tunes.  But, his music career never fully took off.  On this edition of Cityscape, Bell's grandson, Joel Samberg, shares his granddad's story.

An openly gay New York City firefighter shares his story.  Plus the author of a book about "out" police officers talks about being gay in law enforcement.

Over the past few years, we've heard a lot of talk about the sorry state of the newspaper industry.  Much of the attention has been focused on big dailies.  But, what's the state of high school newspapers.  On this edition of Cityscape, we'll talk with the author of a new study on New York City's high school newspapers.  We'll also hear from the author of Off The Beaten (Subway) Track: New York City's Best Unusual Attractions.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE It’s not uncommon for a teen-ager to experience growing pains.  But, a lot of them ride it out, sometimes with the help of their parents.  But, not all kids have a support system, and home is the last place they’ll turn to for help. On this week's Cityscape, we focus our attention on runaway and homeless youth in New York City.    

John Lindsay’s tumultuous two terms as mayor of New York City were marked by strikes, racial divisions and fiscal problems.  And more than 40 years later, his legacy remains as mixed as ever.  On this week's Cityscape, we look back on the Lindsay era.  Our guests include New York Times Urban Affairs Correspondent, Sam Roberts and Tom Casciato, the Executive Producer of a new public television documentary called Fun City Revisited: The Lindsay Years.  

If you live in New York City, it’s more than likely you’ve called the oft-dialed 3-1-1 to complain about whatever’s fraying your nerves.  On this week's Cityscape, we'll get a first hand look at the 3-1-1 call center in Lower Manhattan and talk with two call service representatives.  We'll also talk with a woman on the front lines in the fight against noise, the most common quality of life complaint in New York City.  And we'll chat with the author of the New York City Museum of Complaint, a collection of 132 letters written to the Mayor of New York between 1751 and 1969.

On this week's Cityscape, a Manhattan resident talks candidly about being a recovering alcoholic.  Also this week, a preview of New York City's first gay boutique hotel slated to open in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen.

For a lot of people, New York City is the very definition of nightlife.  On this week's Cityscape, we'll find out what's hot in the city after dark and delve into some of the issues and concerns that revolve around nightlife, from liquor licenses to safety to noise complaints.

As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, this week's Cityscape is all about affordable housing.  We'll get into the nitty gritty of what that term means in New York City, talk to the city's housing commissioner about efforts to build and preserve affordable housing and take a step inside an affordable housing complex in midtown Manhattan that some say is nothing short of a miracle.

Every day people hop in cars and board trains and buses to get to work, but not every commute is the same and neither is every commuter.  On this week's Cityscape, we'll meet some ordinary New Yorkers with not so ordinary commutes.

New York City's landscape is forever changing...buildings come down...new ones go up...old theaters are transformed into restaurants and even pharmacies. On this week's Cityscape, we'll hear about efforts to make sure the city's history and cultural heritage aren't obliterated in the name of progress.

For a lot of people construction sites are more of an eyesore than a work of art. But, a downtown business improvement district’s working to change that. We'll hear about their efforts on this week's Cityscape. Also this week, members of the group Improv Everywhere, talk about some of the public pranks they've pulled over the years, including their No Pants Subway Ride.