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Housing costs are the number one concern for many New Yorkers, and they’re at the center of this year’s race for governor. Kathy Hochul says the state has to build its way out of rising rents, while challenger Bruce Blakeman argues the city already has empty apartments kept off the market by rent stabilization laws, and says he’s proud that home prices have gone up.WNYC and Gothamist reporter David Brand takes us to East New York, where 24 year old Taylor Rivers works two jobs and still can’t find an apartment she can afford, to break down what each candidate is promising and why all the new construction hasn’t brought prices down. This is the final episode of our four part series, New York State of Unaffordability.Photo: Taylor Rivers / photo by David BrandGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. Mamdani plans redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue after nurse killed in hit-and-runGOP candidates in NY face a changed landscape on immigration  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recorded live at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in East Harlem, this installment of In Conversation: The Affordability Series explores the optimism surrounding the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway extension, along with the concerns and impacts felt by local residents and businesses. The Q train could bring shorter commutes, better connections and new opportunities to a neighborhood that has waited generations for improved transit. Community leaders, tenants, business advocates and MTA representatives discuss what the subway could mean for East Harlem and how longtime residents and businesses can take part in its future. Panelists include: Melody Capote, executive director of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora InstituteAdem Brija, chair of Manhattan Community Board 11Ulices Mendez, organizer with the East Harlem Tenant UnionCarey King, director of Uptown Grand CentralLucille Songhai, MTA senior director of Government and Community RelationsJoe O’Donnell, senior director of Strategic Public Affairs at MTA Construction and DevelopmentPhoto cred: Ramsey Khalifeh- WNYC/Gothamist Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. For more of Ramsey’s reporting on the Second Avenue Subway extension in East Harlem: The Second Avenue subway forced him to move 20 years ago. He almost had to move again.Short-term pain for a long-term train: MTA subway construction upends life in East HarlemThe Second Avenue subway forced this East Harlem family from their homeAs MTA moves ahead with 2nd Avenue subway extension, East Harlem locals brace for changeOther stories mentioned: In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgradeWhat NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC and Gothamist reporter Hannah Frishberg joins us with some of the best ways to celebrate Halloween across New York City. From the Great PUPkin dog costume contest and haunted attractions to a Lower East Side bookstore crawl and some truly unusual live performances. Photo: WNYC & Gothamist Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and CongressCouncil OKs bill to end horse carriage industry in NYCMTA suspending bus fare enforcement teams after altercations emergeHalloween in NYC: Events and Activities Mentioned in This Episode 28th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest Saturday, October 24, noon to 1 p.m. at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. Free for spectators. Competing dogs must register in advance for a fee. Part of Fort Greene Park's free Halloween Festival, running from noon to 4 p.m. Halloween on the Farm at Queens County Farm Museum Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens. Trick-or-treating, a corn maze, hayrides, ghost stories and farm animals. Tickets are $15 for adults, $25 for children ages 2–17 and free for children under 2. Ridgewood Asylum Haunted House Open through November 1 at 272 Seigel Street, Brooklyn. An interactive haunted house with escape-room elements. General admission is approximately $43. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday, 6 to 11 p.m. Halloween week hours are 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Advance online tickets recommended. Twisted Trails Haunted Attraction Open on select dates through October 31 at 496 Annadale Road, Staten Island. Outdoor haunted trail with both scare-actor and less frightening no-actor sessions. Admission prices and hours vary by date; check the event calendar. An additional $10 fast pass is available. Children ages 3 and under enter free. Tickets are sold at the entrance on a first-come, first-served basis. Lower East Side Halloween Bookstore Crawl Saturday, October 24, throughout the day. Visit seven participating independent bookstores across the Lower East Side and surrounding neighborhoods, including Sweet Pickle Books, Book Club Bar and Yu & Me Books. Special discounts, costume contests and giveaways. Individual store hours and offers vary. Halloween Movie Night Honoring Tim Curry at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Friday, October 30, at BKCM Prospect Park West, 963 President Street, Brooklyn. Doors open at 6 p.m.; screenings begin at 6:30 p.m. Featuring Clue and Muppet Treasure Island, plus costume contests. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children under 18 and free for children 2 and under. Popcorn and a soft drink included. Catbaret: Meowloween at Caveat Saturday, October 31, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at Caveat, 21A Clinton Street, Manhattan. Cat-themed comedy, music, burlesque and a costume contest. Tickets are $30.08 online, including fees, $35 at the door or $11.63 for the livestream. Ages 21 and older. Swamp Dogg and Alana Amram's Muppet Cover Band at TV Eye Saturday, October 31, at TV Eye, 1647 Weirfield Street, Ridgewood, Queens. Doors open at 2 p.m.; show starts at 3 p.m. An all-ages Halloween concert featuring Swamp Dogg and a tribute to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Tickets are $26 in advance before fees, or $35 at the door if available. Haunted Hotel at Lakeside in Prospect Park Open through November 1 at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, 171 East Drive, Brooklyn. Haunted walkthrough recommended for ages 13 and older. Admission is $35 Tuesday through Sunday and $20 on Mondays. On Halloween, the Haunted Hotel is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The surrounding family-friendly Harvest Festival also features a pumpkin patch, $5 corn maze and $5 games. 53rd Annual Village Halloween Parade Saturday, October 31, beginning at 7 p.m., rain or shine. Free viewing along Sixth Avenue from King Street to West 15th Street. The parade is expected to finish around 11 p.m. Anyone wearing a costume can march for free. Participants should line up near Sixth Avenue and Canal Street between 6:30 and 9 p.m. No advance registration required for general marchers. Alcohol is prohibited. Paid VIP viewing and special-access options are also available.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some Upstate New York residents say their utility bills have more than doubled in the past year, and the cost of keeping the lights on has become one of the biggest issues in this year’s race for governor. As governor, Kathy Hochul has offered rebate checks and a new Ratepayer Protection Plan, while her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman has pledged to cut utility bills in half.WNYC reporter Jon Campbell takes us to Lockport, New York, to hear from residents and break down what each candidate is promising, how realistic it is, and what frustrated voters make of it all in the third episode of our four part series leading up to the November 3rd election: New York State of Unaffordability. Photo: Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News via Getty Images Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. Parents grumble as NYC schools chancellor dodges calls for NYC schools integration planJoin us on Thursday, October 22nd 2026 for In Conversation: The Affordability Series Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City is moving closer to ending its horse carriage industry. With the City Council preparing to vote on a bill that would ban carriage rides starting in June 2028, WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley visits a Hell’s Kitchen stable to hear from workers worried about losing their jobs and owners concerned about their investments. Photo: Liam Quigley /WNYC/Gothamist Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected].  These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest More on the proposed horse carriage ban NYC Council, Mayor Mamdani agree to end Central Park's carriage horse industryTeen's death in Central Park horse carriage fall has lawmakers pushing to ban industryCentral Park carriage horse died after eating toxic shrub, examination finds Family says stray voltage may have contributed to fatal Central Park carriage crash. More on safety concerns on Central Park's loop Central Park's car-free loop is busier than ever. Crashes keep piling up Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC and Gothamist arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to talk about Kelly Clarkson’s dispute with Brooklyn Heights shop Art of Play, a photographer trying to document every neighborhood in the city and what really makes someone a New Yorker. Plus, Citi Bike’s unlikely rise as a symbol of New York cool and some of the places opening their doors for Open House New York. Photo: Sonia Rao/ WNYC & Gothamist Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected].  Mamdani and 100+ NY officials urge parking lot owners to ban ICEAvila Chevalier insists her beef is with NYPD Commissioner Tisch, not MamdaniA visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly ClarksonAre you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Micron, the chipmaker building a massive complex outside Syracuse, says it will bring 50,000 jobs to Central New York. In this year’s race for governor, Kathy Hochul has put billions in state subsidies behind the project, while challenger Bruce Blakeman says the state should get out of the way and let businesses come on their own. But for the people training for those jobs, the bigger question is how soon they’ll arrive and who will actually get them.WNYC and Gothamist reporter Jimmy Vielkind takes us to Syracuse to see what’s riding on Micron in part two of our four part series: New York State of Unaffordability, dropping every Wednesday in October.Photo: Micron Chip Camp / Jimmy Vielkind Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. NYC Council, Mayor Mamdani agree to end Central Park's carriage horse industryNYC's taxi union teams with Uber, private equity firm to demand healthcare after 4 driver deathsNY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After at least four yellow cab drivers died while working in New York City this summer, WNYC reporter Ramsey Khalife examines the financial pressures that can keep drivers behind the wheel even when they are sick.  Photo: Ramsey Khalifeh - WNYC/Gothamist  Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. Driving to death: NYC yellow taxi drivers keep dying on the job, unable to make ends meetFor more on ICE shooting at Marble Hill: What we know about the ICE shooting in New York CityMan shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys sayPlainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC and Gothamist reporter Ben Feuerherd joins us to break down what we know about the shooting in Marble Hill, where a federal immigration agent shot 28 year old Oscar Belgal while his five year old son was inside the car. They discuss newly released NYPD body camera footage, the department’s role when federal agents operate in New York City, the public's response and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s unsuccessful effort to secure Belgal’s release from federal custody. Photo: NYPD bodycam footage Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected].   What we know about the ICE shooting in NYCDSA to Mamdani: Fire NYPD commissioner if ICE doesn't leave NYCAttorneys argue man shot by ICE in Marble Hill should be releasedFeds blame NYC's sanctuary policies for violent ICE arrest in Marble Hill Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a small daycare center in Upstate New York, families are pulling their kids out after the state assistance that made childcare affordable ran dry. It's happening in dozens of counties across New York, and it's part of a bigger fight over the cost of living that's at the center of this year's race for governor. Kathy Hochul wants to expand childcare subsidies, while challenger Bruce Blakeman argues the state should have a limited role in supporting care arrangements.WNYC and Gothamist reporter Jimmy Vielkind heads to Willsboro, New York to see what's at stake for families and daycare owners, and joins us to kick off our four part series, New York State of Unaffordability, dropping every Wednesday in October.Photo: Clubhouse Daycare Center / courtesy Taylor Loreman  Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. NYC moves to spend nearly $9M of gender-affirming care fund for minorsNYC’s autumn foliage will be a fall feast this year  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC and Gothamist reporter David Brand joins us to talk about a couple of the housing battles he’s covering right now, including the lawsuit challenging the Rent Guidelines Board’s rent freeze and a new fast-track process for certain affordable housing projects. Plus, WNYC and Gothamist reporter Walter Wuthmann looks at noise complaints surrounding rooftop parties at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the concerns from nearby residents and the debate over how gentrification fits into the dispute. Photo: Walter Wuthmann/Gothamist Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected].  Mamdani will clear 10,000 families off waitlist for low cost childcareTwo Legionnaires’ disease cases appear at a Queens housing complex. Here’s what we know.Check out our latest episode on LegionnairesNew apartments are coming and there’s nothing these 12 neighborhoods can do to stop itNo kids and a lot of bass: Brooklyn Children's Museum draws flak for loud roof partiesThe latest on rent freeze lawsuit: Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messages Lawyer suing to block NYC rent freeze tried swaying previous board vote, ex-chair saysOther housing news: Mamdani must redo his pied-à-terre tax rollout, NY judge orders Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chef Ham El-Waylly grew up in Doha, Qatar, eating his mom's Egyptian and Bolivian cooking and dreaming about New York bagels while watching Seinfeld. Today, he's the co-owner and chef behind Strange Delight, a Creole restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.In this episode, Ham joins NYC Now host Janae Pierre to talk about the unexpected throughlines between Southern cooking and the food he grew up on, how the pandemic sent him back to his late mother's recipe book after years of avoiding his grief, and the empanadas that helped him finally process it. He also breaks down what actually separates fine dining from cooking for his own family, and how affordability shaped the recipes in his new cookbook, Hello Home Cooking.  Watch Ham and Janae cook a New York inspired recipe straight from the book on Youtube! Get the cookbook: Hello Home Cooking, by Ham El-Waylly Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected] Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messagesHochul names NY AG James as special prosecutor on rape case at Cornell University Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 1st marks the start of heat season in New York City, when landlords are legally required to keep buildings warm... but getting a landlord to actually fix a heat problem can be its own battle. Tenants' rights attorney Leah Goodridge walks us through what tenants are entitled to and the steps she, herself, took to get the hot water back in her apartment. Then, WNYC and Gothamist housing reporter David Brand breaks down landlords' perspective on why heat repairs can take as long as they do and also what the city's new policy requiring inspectors to check every complaint individually means for New Yorkers.Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected]. Mamdani must redo his pied-à-terre tax rollout, NY judge ordersWhat Trump's Title IX rollback means for LGBTQ+ students in New York   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City has seen a string of deadly Legionnaires outbreaks. Daniel Thomas reflects on losing his father, retired New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles Thomas, after he contracted the disease during this summer’s Upper East Side outbreak. But death is not the only lasting consequence. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Joe Hong speaks with two survivors of the 2025 Central Harlem outbreak who are still living with serious health problems more than a year later, and looks at why Legionnaires outbreaks keep happening across the city. Photo cred: Daniel Thomas, son of The Honorable Charles J. Thomas Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected].   NYC childcare providers say city contract rates fall $12.6K short per childMamdani says NYC will investigate every tenant heat complaint starting this OctoberThe NY Liberty head back to the playoffs today. Catch up on what you missed.For more on Legionnaires  NYC Now - New York City Vowed Reform After Harlem’s Legionnaires’ Deaths. A New Outbreak Is Exposing the Gaps What we know so far about the Legionnaires’ outbreak ahead of Bronx town hall5 Bronx buildings had no recent record of monthly testing before Legionnaires’ outbreakNYC councilmembers plot next steps on Legionnaires', hear from a widow Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC and Gothamist culture reporter Sonia Rao joins Matthew Schnipper to discuss the Harry Styles pop up that drew huge crowds to the East Village and a confrontation that ended with cookbook store owner Bonnie Slotnick being arrested. They also look at a new film about location scouting in New York, the growing number of creative workers going freelance and the return of Saint Vitus in Bushwick. Plus, they preview an interview with saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins ahead of his return to the Village Vanguard. Photo: Sonia Rao / WNYC & GothamistGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected].   Judge orders NYC officials to turn over phone messages, keeps rent freeze in place - GothamistNYC councilmember wants to ban tickets for spitting after arrest video circulates - GothamistHow a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest - GothamistNYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says - Gothamist Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.