Wfuv's Cityscape

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

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.