Wfuv's Cityscape

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.