Cityscape

New York City is layered in history. Behind every brownstone, or gravestone for that matter, is a story. A story about lives lived and lost, some tragically or under other macabre circumstances. That’s where Andrea James comes in. Andrea is the founder of Boroughs of the Dead Macabre: New York City Walking Tours. She knows all about the horror and scandals that haunt New York City’s past. Just in time for Halloween, Andrea is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

In a place that appears larger than life, it’s hard to imagine New York City could ever be shrunken down. But, perhaps you haven’t yet paid a visit to Gulliver’s Gate.  The exhibition brings the entire planet, including the Big Apple, to West 44th Street in miniature form. On this week’s show we’re talking with Jason Hackett, the Chief Marketing Officer of Gulliver’s Gate. We’ll also meet a man who spends his life in a land of miniatures.  Darren Thomas Scala is the owner of D. Thomas Fine Miniatures. He has great enthusiasm for and deep knowledge of miniature arts.

The United Nations General Assembly wrapped up its 72nd annual general debate late last month. Many New Yorkers are familiar with the annual event, if for no other reason, because it causes week-long traffic tie-ups. But, the UN and New York City have a long history together, one that involves much more than congested roadways. Our guest this week is Pamela Hanlon. She’s the author of A Wordly Affair: New York, the United Nations and the Story Behind Their Unlikely Bond.

What do legendary jazz musician Duke Ellington, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Herman Melville have in common? They’re all buried in the same Bronx cemetery. Where did we get that fun fact? From a man with encyclopedic knowledge of the Bronx. Llyod Ultan is the Bronx Borough historian. He's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

A museum in Brooklyn is trying to fill a void when it comes to telling the story of the Holocaust. Instead of focusing on death, the Amud Aish Memorial Museum places an emphasis on Jewish religious life. On this week's Cityscape we're joined by the museum's Director of Research and Archives, Rabbi Dovid Reidel. He'll tell us about how his family history informed his career, and the new information the museum is bringing to light.

When it comes to wild animals, chances are a lot of people don’t associate them with cities like New York. That is unless you count pigeons, rats and squirrels. But, look closer and you’ll discover a wide variety of untamed creatures in the Big Apple, from coyotes to opossums to skunks. On this week’s Cityscape, we’ll talk with a woman who helps to rehabilitate injured, sick and orphaned wild animals in the city. Also this week, New York City is home to tens of thousands of feral and stray cats. The New York City Feral Cat Initiative works to reduce the population with an approach known as TNR – trap, neuter, return. We'll talk with the group's director of TNR Education.

If you’re in the mood for sausage and peppers or a cannoli, there’s no better time to be in New York City. The San Gennaro Feast has taken over the streets of Manhattan’s Little Italy. The annual event has a long history in the neighborhood. In fact, it’s now in its 91st year. The San Gennaro festival runs through September 24th. On this week's Cityscape we're delving into the history of Little Italy and the San Gennaro Feast.

Tracing your family history is as simple as ever thanks to genealogy websites and DNA ancestry test kits. For Brooklyn resident Andrew Van Dusen, the roots of his family tree were uncovered through a middle school class project. Van Dusen discovered that he was a 12th generation descendant of one of Manhattan’s first few hundred settlers. He's our guest on this week's Cityscape.

If you’re headed to a Labor Day weekend gathering, chances are someone will be serving hot dogs. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs a year. The Council says over a third of hot dogs are consumed between Memorial Day and Labor Day. As peak hot dog eating season comes to an end, we bring you an episode devoted to the hot dog, or as it was sometimes referred to in the 1920s, the frankfurter sandwich.

With the summer quickly coming to a close, a lot of folks are looking to squeeze in at least one more trip to the beach. New York City is home to some pretty nice beach destinations. On this week’s Cityscape, we’re taking in the sand, surf, history and culture of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. If you’re unfamiliar with Brighton Beach chances are you know its neighbor, Coney Island. But, like Coney, Brighton Beach also has distinct character all its own, and is often referred to as “Little Russia” for its large population of Russian immigrants.