Wfuv's Cityscape

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.   

"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.