NYC NOW

4.5 (91)
Daily News
Daily

NYC Now helps New Yorkers understand the city through original reporting and sharp analysis from WNYC and Gothamist. The show digs into the news, culture, and conversations shaping life in New York, three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, hosted by Janae Pierre.

23h ago

New York State of Unaffordability Part 4: Rent Is Too Damn High

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.
2d ago

In Conversation: East Harlem Has Waited Nearly a Century for the Q Train. Can the Neighborhood Make It Through Construction?

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.
5d ago

How to Halloween Like a New Yorker

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.
Oct 21

New York State of Unaffordability Part 3: Utility Bills, Bills, Bills

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.
Oct 19

The Last Ride? New York City Moves Closer to Ending Horse Carriages

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.
Oct 16

Kelly Clarkson’s Brooklyn Shop Drama and the Great “Real New Yorker” Debate

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.
Oct 14

New York State of Unaffordability Part 2: Who’s Bringing Jobs to Upstate New York?

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.
Oct 12

The Cost of Stopping: Why Some NYC Yellow Cab Drivers Work Through Illness

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 NYCNow@WNYC.org. 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.

See All (2K)

Stephen Nessen

Guest
Sandy Nurse

Guest

4.5

out of 5

91 Ratings

Fav

Sep 7

mlhalhldh

I love this podcast ! My youngest should be moving to nyc and we travel there often from Texas - love listening to all the great stories and I tell all my NYC friends on events that are happening in this fab city
Downgrade

Apr 6

Smarterchild319x

I miss old format. I loved getting the news first thing in the morning. I understand budget cuts are why we’re stuck with the new format but almost all the “news” is fluff pieces and way too pro-Mamdani.
What has whappened to NYC Now?

Mar 29

RAKGB

I'm sad about the funding crisis but does that mean the podcast had to devolve into a juvenile gossip fest?
Bring back the daily 10 min format!

Jan 31

Cloud & Wind

Bring back the daily 10 min format!

NYC Now helps New Yorkers understand the city through original reporting and sharp analysis from WNYC and Gothamist. The show digs into the news, culture, and conversations shaping life in New York, three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, hosted by Janae Pierre.