Cityscape

Inspired by the furry friends they work with every day, the New York City-based band Pet-Rox is made up of pet professionals of all stripes. The group was founded by a veterinarian, but also includes a cat rescuer and a whole host of others in the animal welfare community. Pet-Rox has just completed their first album called "Just Sniffing Around.” The group’s founder, lead singer and rhythm guitarist Doctor Jeffery Levy, as well as two members of the band, Jackie Krim and Leslie Hughs, recently joined us in WFUV’s very own studio A.

For a lot of people, especially young, single people, the only way to afford to live in New York City is to get a roommate. On this week’s Cityscape, "Roommating 101."  We'll explore how to find a roommate, your rights as a roommate, and how to make a roommate situation work even in a tiny studio apartment.

On this week's Cityscape, author Andrew Goldstein talks about his debut novel, The Bookie’s Son. The coming of age tale draws on Goldstein’s own childhood in the Bronx in the 1960s. It's told through the eyes of 12-year-old Ricky Davis, who wants to rescue his parents from themselves -- and from the ravages his father's gambling habit threatens to wreak on his family.

Street food in New York City has a long and rich history. In fact, pushcart vending in New York dates all the way back to the late 1600’s. Fast forward more than three centuries, and street food is as popular as ever. On this week's Cityscape, we’re digging into street food culture in New York City, and exploring what it takes to get into the food truck business. Also, a cemetery might be the last place you’d think to go to explore the city’s culinary past. But, Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx is the final resting place of a veritable who’s who of culinary greats. The cemetery recently held a tour of noteworthy gravesites related to the city’s food history. On this week's show, we'll pay the cemetery a visit to learn more about the famous foodies buried there.

Saturday is “It’s My Park Day” in New York City -- an annual event in which New Yorkers give a little back to their favorite parks. Residents in all five boroughs will be taking time to spruce up parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods. It’s volunteer efforts like this one that New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe says make a big difference in the care and upkeep of parks. Commissioner Benepe is our guest on this week's Cityscape. He'll talk with us about the state of the city’s parks system and a whole bunch more, including how music helps to inspire him to build and maintain parks.

It’s the kind of story that keeps moviegoers on the edge of their seats -- a lethal pandemic quickly spreads through a crowded city as the medical community races to stop it. But, throughout history, health officials in New York City have had their own real-life dramas dealing with disease, including bouts with smallpox.  Today there are vaccines available to protect adults and children against at least 17 diseases, but health officials sometimes struggle to convince people that vaccines are safe. A new exhibit set to open Tuesday at the New-York Historical Society explores the history of vaccination, including the conflict between the need to manage disease in an urban environment and the rights of individuals to resist government interference in their private lives. Joining us on this week's Cityscape is the exhibition’s team, as well as an immunization expert from the New York City Health Department.

For an artist, inspiration can strike at any moment. Something as simple as a sunset might inspire a painter to reach for a brush. The birth of a child might prompt a musician to pen a new song. But, it’s not always happy occasions that spark an artist to launch a new project. On this week’s Cityscape, we’ll talk with New York City artists who are turning cancer diagnoses into artistic statements.

On this week’s Cityscape, host George Bodarky's conversation with author Steven Schrader, whose dad was known as a "king of 7th Avenue fashion." Schrader’s new book, called Threads, explores his childhood in Washington Heights in the 40’s and 50’s, his strained relationship with his dressmaking guru father, and the road he took to becoming a published writer.

With so much diversity in New York City, it’s no wonder there are so many extraordinary stories to tell. This week we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite characters on Cityscape -- programs showcasing some of the remarkable and fascinating personalities dotting the city's landscape.

A hundred years ago this weekend, the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic as it made its way from Southampton to New York City. It was the ship’s maiden voyage, and a century later the story of the tragedy still captures people’s imaginations. On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring New York City's connections to Titanic. We'll hear about how New York City reacted to the news of the disaster, explore some of the Titanic memorials in the city, and learn about where some of the Titanic victims and survivors are buried in the five boroughs.