WFUV's Cityscape

On Monday February 17th we celebrate the birthdays of two of the most famous US Presidents. George Washington turns 282 this month, and honest Abe turns 205. You might not know it, but both presidents have historical roots right here in New York City. On this week's Cityscape, we’re celebrating Presidents Day by exploring moments of presidential history that took place in our own backyard.

This week we’re bringing you some of the best of Cityscape as we launch into WFUV’s Winter membership drive. The show will feature a bunch of our all-time favorite segments, including a must-hear piece about a singing sanitation worker and a visit to an exotic bird garden in Manhattan's Chinatown. Happy Listening!

New York City is known for being a loud, bustling city. You can walk down any street and hear sirens, car horns, music and people talking about pretty much anything. But, coming up on this edition of Cityscape, we’re turning down the volume, by focusing on events in New York City where silence is key, including a silent dining experience in Brooklyn.

The New York City taxi is an iconic automobile with a rich social history, and some of the men – and women – that get us from point A to point B have seen a lot along the way.  This week's Cityscape is all about the taxi – from personal stories of cab drivers, to high tech cabs, to taxis doubling as photography studios.

Does the clack clack sound of typewriter keys make you nostalgic? How about the crackle of vinyl spinning on a record player? You may consider typewriters and record players relics of the past, but there are plenty of people keeping them alive and well. In this episode of Cityscape we talk with people using machines from decades past.

Does the clack clack sound of typewriter keys make you nostalgic? How about the crackle of vinyl spinning on a record player? You may conisder typewriters and record players relics of the past, but there are plenty of people keeping them alive and well. In this episode of Cityscape we talk with people using machines from decades past.

You see them along the East and Hudson Rivers, and snaking through Central Park. Arms pumping with a determined look on their faces. We’re talking about runners. They’re pretty much everywhere in New York City. On this week's show we're delving into the world of runners, including efforts to get kids into the sport as a way to inspire them to get fit and stay in school. We'll also talk with the author of a new book called Runners and Lovers. The novel is set in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.

Her story reads like a Hollywood film: A woman who seems healthy is quarantined on a remote island off New York City because it’s feared she’s spreading a deadly disease.Mary Mallon – better known as Typhoid Mary — spent much of her life quarantined on North Brother Island.  So close, but yet so far away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.  She was the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever. Author Mary Beth Keane penned a novel based on Mary Mallon's life. It's called "Fever," and we're talking with her on this week's Cityscape.

Sunday is Mother’s Day. A day to celebrate moms and all they do. But not any one relationship between a mother and child is the same. On this week's Cityscape, we’re exploring the role of mothers in our lives and in society. Our guests include the founder of the Museum of Motherhood in Manhattan.

Spring is still a ways away — meaning many more days of potentially cold weather. But, instead of complaining about it, we’re doing something about it. We’re devoting this half-hour of Cityscape to thinking warm. We'll warm up with segments on knitting, quilting, hot chocolate and hot yoga.

New York City’s filled with people of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and backgrounds. Many are born and bred here. Others move to the big city to fulfill their dreams. Former Mayor Ed Koch once said you’re a true New Yorker after living in the Big Apple for at least 10 years. But, nevertheless, battles sometimes erupt over when you can say you’re from New York despite your place of origin. This week we’re hearing from a born and bred New Yorker, a transplant, and a writer who lived in New York City, left and isn’t looking back.

Hanukkah,the festival of lights, begins at sundown Saturday. On this week's Cityscape, a renowned storyteller and a singer-guitarist combine their talents to share a Hanukkah tale. Also this week, they say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. But, Times Square is not the only place in New York City where neon lights shine brightly. Architectural designer Thomas Rinaldi spent a number of years cataloging neon signs around the city. Signs that are slowly disappearing as lighting technology changes. Rinaldi joins us to talk about his new book appropriately titled New York Neon.

With election day inching closer and closer, we’re focusing our attention on presidential politics on this week's Cityscape. We'll talk with an NYU religious studies professor about the role faith plays in politics. We'll also check in with a presidential studies professor at Hofstra University about the impact debates have on White House runs. And, we'll talk with a New York City-based artist who is making his creative voice heard this election season with an exhibit titled Your Land/My Land: Election ’12. The exhibit is being staged simultaneously at museums across the U.S., including at the New Museum in New York City.

It’ll be all Greek to New York Sunday (3/27/11), as the annual Greek Independence Day Parade makes its way through Manhattan’s 5th Avenue.  This year’s event celebrates the 190th anniversary of Greek independence from Turkish rule.   The parade’s a city tradition, dating back to 1938.  It found a home on 5th Avenue in 1951. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re exploring all things Greek, from ancient literature to the cuisine.

We all face a new set of challenges as we get older.  All this month, WFUV has been highlighting organizations that work to assist older adults as part of our Strike a Chord campaign.  We’ve also been delving into many of the issues that impact seniors.  This week on Cityscape, we’ll be continuing that exploration, including a look into the lives of grandparents tasked with raising their grandchildren and LGBT seniors.