WFUV's Cityscape

Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal has been called many things over the years. A cesspool, an industrial dumping ground, a blemish. But, our guest on this edition of Cityscape says the 1.8 mile canal is also one of the most important waterways in the history of New York Harbor. Joseph Alexiou is a licensed New York City tour guide, and the author of Gowanus: Brooklyn's Curious Canal.

Homelessness is on the rise in New York City. According to a recent report from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness is up 11% from 2014. The survey found 75,323 people living on the streets or in shelters in the Big Apple. Mayor de Blasio has been taking a lot of heat for his handling of the homeless situation. But, he recently unveiled a $2.6 plan to help tackle the problem. The 15-year plan would create 15,000 units of housing that would include social services for veterans, mentally disabled people and others in need of assistance. On this edition of Cityscape, we'll explore other efforts to help combat homelessness in the city, including Councilman Mark Levine's push to stem evictions, and a program that uses running to combat homelessness.

This is an especially busy time of year in New York City. Tourists typically come to the Big Apple in droves during the holiday season. And with all of those out-of-towners comes the opportunity for con artists and hustlers to make some easy money. Our guests on this edition of Cityscape spent years with con artists to uncover their secrets. Trevor B. Milton is an assistant professor in social sciences at Queensborough Community College, and Terry Williams is a professor of sociology at the New School for Social Research. Trevor and Terry join us to talk about their new book The Con Men: Hustling in New York City.

In the blink of an eye the holiday season is upon us once again. And for a lot of people that will mean more time in the kitchen cooking and baking for family and friends. On this week's Cityscape, we're focusing our attention on food, and to some extent, the preparation of it. We'll visit the Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn, where some of the exhibits, are, in fact, edible. We'll also talk with famed food photographer Alan "Battman" Batt who has established a school to train line cooks in New York City. The school educates unemployed people and places them in restaurants. It's free of charge to students. And we'll check in with Brooklyn resident and classically trained chef Jackie Newgent about her book The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook.

Every day millions of people get to and from their destinations using the New York City subway system. A lot of them are too rushed to take notice of their surroundings. But, not Adam Chang. The freelance art director and designer has been taking the time to uncover the subway's hidden treasures for his NY Train Project. Adam is cataloging the signs of subway stations on his website. He'll join us on this week's Cityscape to talk about the project. We'll also hear from the author of The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System, as well as talk with a busker who plays the saw at the Times Square, Union Square and Herald Square subway stations.

Each quarter, WFUV works to raise awareness of a particular issue through our Strike a Chord campaign. Past campaigns have focused on everything from mental illness stereotypes to teen suicide prevention. WFUV and Bronxnet Television teamed up to produce a special panel discussion for our latest campaign focused on family caregivers. When you're faced with having to care for a sick or disabled loved one, you're bound to encounter a set of new responsibilities – many of which might be unfamiliar or intimidating. Our panel discussion on the subject features the following guests: Randi Kaplan, Director Caregiver Support Program Montefiore Health System Chris Widelo, Associate State Director for AARP New York Matt Kudish, Senior Vice President of Caregiver Services at Alzheimer's Association, New York City chapter Sharon Corso, a caregiver for her husband who has Alzheimer's Disease

Central Park has long been a magnet for New Yorkers and tourists alike. Some people are drawn to it because of the peace and quiet it can provide in the often obnoxiously loud city. Others are attracted to its ballfields. And if you're a runner, you may appreciate both its hilly and flat terrain. Since its inception, artists have also felt the tug of Central Park. Roger F. Pasquier has put together a book that explores how artists have depicted the park in their work dating back to the mid 1800s. Roger studied art history at Columbia and the University of California, Berkley. He retired from his career as an ornithologist a few years ago, which freed him up to focus on his book, titled Painting Central Park. Roger is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

Out of all five boroughs in New York City, the Bronx is often not the first that comes to mind for visitors to the Big Apple. Manhattan is typically the big draw. With places like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty getting a whole lot of love. But, the Bronx has a lot to offer tourists and locals alike. A new guidebook spotlights a wide variety of cultural and historical attractions in the Bronx. It's called The Bronx: The Ultimate Guide to New York City's Beautiful Borough, and it's written by Bronx Borough Historian and Fairleigh Dickinson University History Professor, Lloyd Ultan and former University Professor Shelley Olson. Lloyd and Shelley are our guests on this edition of Cityscape.

When it comes to Bourbon, Brooklyn resident Reid Mitenbuler is giving it to us straight. Mitenbuler's written a book about Bourbon. Its called Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey. Mitenbuler is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

Brooklyn wasn't always a borough known for art and culture. But, today it's bursting with it. Brooklynites are doing a wide range of interesting things in some pretty interesting places. Just ask Oriana Leckert. She writes about this kind of stuff on her blog called Brooklyn Spaces. Oriana also just published a book by the same name. She joins us on this edition of Cityscape to talk all about what she calls Brooklyn's "hubs of culture and creativity."

Jerome Charyn is an award-winning American author who's published nearly 50 books. Throughout his career, he's written novels, memoirs, graphic novels, short stories, plays and non-fiction works. Born and raised in the Bronx, Jerome hasn't forgotten his roots. The Bronx consistently seeps into his writing. His latest work is a collection of thirteen stories called Bitter Bronx. Jerome is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.

For the first time in decades pedestrians and bicyclists can now travel over New York City's oldest standing bridge. The High Bridge, connecting Washington Heights in Manhattan to Highbridge in the Bronx, re-opened to the public last month after being closed for more than 40 years. A new children's book aims to educate kids about the High Bridge. It's called The Lowdown on the High Bridge: The Story of How New York City Got Its Water. It's written by none other than Sonia Manzano, best known as Maria from Sesame Street. Manzano grew up in the Bronx. She is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.

New York City is dotted with coffee shops. They're pretty much on every block. Some streets might even have two or three. Each and every morning people line up to get their java fix before heading off to work or school. On this edition of Cityscape we're exploring a bit of the New York coffee scene. But we'll have something for tea drinkers too.

A lot of us associate Independence with America's independence from British rule, but there are plenty of ways to look at it. On this week's edition of Cityscape, we're looking at independence from various perspectives, including a kid's independence from the diaper. We'll also talk with the executive director of an organization that works to help disabled New Yorkers live as independently as possible. We'll learn about the famous Macy's 4thof July Fireworks from its creative director. And we'll delve into New York City's Revolutionary War history with a tour guide who knows all about it.

WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign is shining a spotlight on kids who care. The campaign highlights kids making a difference in their communities through volunteer efforts. We produced this panel discussion in conjunction with BronxNet Television. Our guests include: 8-year-old Maeve Ryan who is involved with a project called Operation Christmas Child; 15-year-old Sean Martin, the founder of Kids Adopt a Shelter; and Naomi Hirabayashi with DoSomething.org.