Wfuv's Cityscape

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.