Cityscape

New York City is known for its hustle and bustle.  In fact it’s that frenetic energy that often attracts people to the Big Apple.  Just look at how the tourists eat up Times Square. But, the city that’s known for never sleeping, does indeed doze a bit.  On this edition of the show, we’re exploring New York City before the sun comes up. Our guests include:

In the age of texting, e-mailing and tweeting, the idea of sitting down to write a letter might seem foreign to a lot of people. On this week's Cityscape, we're talking with a couple of folks who want to revive the art of letter writing. We'll also check in with a Brooklyn-based artist who tosses messages in bottles in the waters off of New York City to raise awareness about the protection of wild birds.  One of George Boorujy's bottles made its way from Staten Island all the way to France.

In a city like New York that’s constantly evolving, you often hear grumblings that neighborhoods just aren’t what they used to be.  You even have people who miss the old Times Square as gritty and crime ridden as it once was. Further downtown, St. Marks Place is frequently the subject of that kind of debate.  The three block stretch in the East Village has long had a reputation as being a hotspot for counterculture. It’s synonymous with names like Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol and the Ramones. But, some feel that pizzazz has been lost to gentrification.  Regardless, the tiny street has a long and rich history. Journalist Ada Calhoun grew up on St. Marks Place, and recently penned a book about it.  It’s called St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America’s Hippest Street. Ada and Cityscape host George Bodarky recently met up to take a walk through her old neighborhood. 

​​Maps have long played an integral role in society. They’ve been used to discover treasure and foreign lands, identify and locate constellations and stars, and simply to get to a relative’s house on time for Thanksgiving dinner. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re exploring the power of the map. Our guests are Becky Cooper, author of Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers, and award-winning cartographer, graphic designer and information architect, Stephan Van Dam. Stephan is the President and Creative Director of New York City-based VanDam Inc.

From food to entertainment, the Big Apple has a lot to offer no matter your age. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re taking a look at New York City from a toddler’s perspective.The city has a lot to offer a kid between the ages of one and three years old -- from cool museums to foreign language programs. This week we’ll pay a visit to a French for toddlers class on Manhattan’s upper East Side. We'll also check out a place that brings a little piece of country life to New York City kids.  And we'll talk with a photographer who literally set out to see what the city looked like from his toddler's perspective.

New York is one of the most photographed cities in the world. Just think about how many people you see snapping pictures in Times Square alone on any given day. On this week's Cityscape we're focusing on photo taking in New York City through the lens two specific individuals. One is no longer with us, but left a significant mark on the world of photography, as well as in other areas including women’s rights. Staten Island native Alice Austen was one of the nation’s earliest and most prolific female photographers. We'll also hear from photographer Harvey Stein. He's been shooting in the streets of New York City since John Lindsay was mayor. His latest book Briefly Seen: New York Street Life includes photographs taken between 1974 and 2014.

When you think of a doctor, what image comes to mind? For a lot of people it’s a person in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his or her neck. But, with dramatic advances in health care and technology since the stethoscope was invented 200 years ago, is it still a useful tool? Coming up on this week’s Cityscape we’ll explore that question and delve a bit into New York City’s medical history. We'll learn all about the New York Academy of Medicine, which has been helping to advance the health of people living in cities since 1847, and pay a visit to the oldest continuous dermatology office in Manhattan.

You can't underestimate the value of positive role models in the lives of young people, especially those at risk. This winter, WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign is focusing its attention on mentoring programs in the tri-state region. Listen to this special panel discussion we produced in conjunction with BronxNet Television.

To make it in New York, you need to stand out.  And while there is strength in numbers, sometimes you need to just go it alone.  Be bold.  Make a statement.  Separate yourself from the rest. Enter “One-Food Wonders.” On this week’s Cityscape we’re honing in on eateries that specialize in just one thing, like grilled cheese sandwiches, rice pudding and pickles.

The lights on Broadway are as bright as ever. Broadway is now the number one tourist destination in New York City. But, in the 1970’s Broadway almost went dark for good. Our guest this week is Michael Reidel the theatre columnist for the New York Post and the co-host of the long running PBS show Theater Talk. He’s here to talk about his new book Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway, which pulls back the curtain on the history of the Great White Way.  Michael, thanks so much for coming in.