What's with this city, that we endlessly dissect it, glorify it, wonder how exactly we fit into it?

In the wake of the Boston bombings, Rep. Peter King has called for increased surveillance of the Muslim American community. He argued that monitoring of certain communities is nothing new.

In this episode of Micropolis, WNYC's Arun Venugopal ventures into the home of Michael, a transsexual prostitute and heroin addict -- and, as you can hear in the segment above -- given to baking cookies for her guests.

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In this latest episode of Micropolis, we explore the not-so-harmonious side of the New York musician's life, wherein one wrong chord can result in a knock on the door, a volley of abuse, and maybe even... MURDER.

To understand just how much America -- and it's ideas about gay rights and other issues -- continue to influence the rest of the world, it's worth watching a movie called English Vinglish, a Bollywood hit from last year, starring Indian screen legend Sridevi. Her character, Shashi, is visiting her sister in the U.S. for a few weeks, and starts taking English-language classes in Manhattan.

Director Michel Gondry has worked with Bjork, Kanye West and Radiohead, as well as A-list actors like Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, but for his latest project, "The We and the I," he opted to cast a bunch of non-actors: regular kids living in the Bronx.

New York Fashion Week, which just concluded, celebrates designers of color like Jason Wu and Tracy Reese, and the crowds are pretty mixed. But the runways are pretty homogenous: About 4 out of 5 runway models are white. Why?

For many people in the West, the word 'jihad' conjures up images of a violence and terror. WNYC Reporter Arun Venugopal investigates a campaign which aims to remind people that for most in the Islamic world, jihad means 'internal struggle.' Venugopal speaks with Ahmed Rehab, the man behind the campaign, as well as Columbia University Professor Adam Galinsky, and conservative pollster Frank Luntz.

Bill de Blasio threw his hat in the mayoral ring Sunday, officially announcing his candidacy for the 2013 election before a crowd of supporters.

More than a hundred Brooklyn residents and business owners attended a public meeting organized by the Environmental Protection Agency to address the proposed Superfund cleanup of the Gowanus Canal.

Why, in this era of foodie hordes, Instagramming their way across the five boroughs, do some Chinese restaurants in New York City still have double menus?

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, WNYC visits Morningside Heights to see how the neighborhood is marking the celebration - from bookstore displays to playground conversations.

The brutal rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi has prompted demonstrations and calls for legal reforms, but not just in India. In the latest Micropolis, Arun Venugopal examines how the uproar is resonating here.

Some hefty men dress up as Santa Claus because it’s a nice way to make a little extra cash,  this time of year. But for others it's more a state of mind. 

In the wake of the Newtown shootings, legislative leaders are having intense discussions about the direction of gun control, but few of them or their aides are willing to speak on the record, or even return calls.

Just 51 percent of New Yorkers speak only English at home, according to recent data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. As for the other 49 percent, well, the languages span the globe.

WNYC Reporters Arun Venugopal and Ilya Marritz discuss new U.S.-census numbers out about median income and migration into New York City.

More: Arun's Report on New New Yorkers | Ilya's Report on Median Income

The newest New Yorkers are doing pretty well and many of them are moving into high-priced parts of Manhattan, like the West Village, Tribeca and midtown, mostly from other states.

Before they hit the stage, Broadway actors can often be found cocooned in their makeup rooms. But, what exactly do they do in there?