Wfuv's Cityscape

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 recentl

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.