WFUV's Cityscape

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa spent 15 years as a practicing Monk in New York City.  He details his experiences in a book called Urban Monk. But, Pandit has since left the monastery he called home on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He’s now devoting his life to helping others de-stress as a meditation teacher, inspirational speaker and well-being expert. Pandit was first on Cityscape in June of 2014 to talk about life as a monk in the Big Apple.  He’s back this week to share what life is like for him in his new role outside of the monastery.

Luke Waters was born in Ireland and had dreams of following in his grandfather's and brother's footsteps by joining that country's police force.  Waters did fulfill his dream of becoming a cop -- only in New York City.  He spent two decades with the NYPD.  Waters details his experiences in a new memoir called NYPD Green: An Irish-Born Detective's Twenty Years on the Mean Streets of New York.  He joins us on this week's Cityscape to share his story.

New York is the most populous city in the United States.  Space is, of course, at a premium.  For a lot of people that means no room for a washer/dryer in their apartment. Enter the laundromat. On this edition of Cityscape, an "ode to the laundromat."

New York City has long been recognized as a food lover’s paradise. From its fine restaurants to its street food, the city has something for every palate. Our guest on this edition of Cityscape is Cathy Kaufman.  Cathy is the Associate Editor of Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover’s Companion to New York City.

For mom and pop shops in New York City, high rents and competition from chain stores and online retailers can be insurmountable barriers. The city has seen many small businesses shutter their doors over the years as a result of these challenges.  
Over the past several years, husband and wife photography team James and Karla Murray have been photographing the distinctive facades of mom and pop shops throughout the five boroughs. Their first book of images called Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York came out in 2008.  Karla and James are now out with a follow up book called Store Front II: A History Preserved The Disappearing Face of New York.  Karla is our guest on this edition of Cityscape.