wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President, talks about some of his ideas for tax policy and small business assistance in his recent State of the Borough address.

New York is a city of specialists from foodies to academics, laborers to shopkeepers. Every Wednesday, Niche Market takes a peek inside a different specialty store and showcases the city's purists who have made an art out of selling one commodity.

From Tuesday through Sunday, more than 1,350 bands, DJs and comedians will perform at the annual CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival. Check out WNYC's trippy color-coded map to see our CMJ picks — from En Vogue to Mike Birbiglia to Dum Dum Girls — for each night of the festival.

The first episode in a new Food In Two Worlds podcast features Maharlika Filipino Moderno, a Filipino pop-up restaurant in Manhattan's East Village.

Even with over 300 galleries in Chelsea, many younger artists struggle to have their work seen and promoted. To that end, we've highlighted eight alternative arts destinations to explore in the city.

Sharif El-Gamal, the developer of the Park51 project, talks about the passionate national debate that was sparked last year when the Islamic Community Center and mosque was proposed. Yesterday, Park51 opened its doors.

Frontline tells the story of Sharif El-Gamal and the story of the Ground Zero Mosque controversy. “The Man Behind the Mosque” airs Tuesday, September 27, at 9 pm on PBS.

The Richard Hambleton retrospective at Phillips de Pury & Company is only on view through Tuesday. But there's still plenty of historic graffiti around town to cast your eye over. With the help of graffiti aficionada Katherine Lorimer (who snaps shots of street art as Luna Park), WNYC has created a tour of five of the coolest and oldest pieces of graffiti around town.

Restaurateurs Drew Nieporent, Michael Lomonaco (formerly of Windows on the World), and David Bouley all had restaurants in lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. They describe the impact of the attacks and their aftermath on the restaurant scene in downtown Manhattan, and how it's changed in the last decade.

At 19, jazz prodigy Matt Savage is at work on his ninth album, which includes a five-part tribute to New York City. Download "Big Apple Blues" for free here, or check him out at the Iridium jazz club Wednesday night.

An air conditioning unit has lately been the hottest -- or coolest -- commodity around town. But to the dismay of many overheated residents looking to buy or replace a broken AC unit, they've all but sold out in area retail stores.

Thursday is Bastille Day. Here are some ways to celebrate in New York City.

From books to the big screen, J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' franchise has permeated popular culture and transcended the boundaries of traditional entertainment. As American audiences prepare for the final Harry Potter film to open, we’ve compiled a short list of events around New York that celebrate the world of Harry Potter.

Diamonds may be forever, but this past weekend, the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum ended its 20-week run of “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels.” Over 172,000 visitors passed through the exhibition, breaking the museum's record for previous attendance.

Pig roasts, improv marathons, Revolutionary War tours and urban foraging. There's no shortage of things to do in the city this Independence Day weekend. Here's our shortlist of happenings around NYC.

The sexual assault case against former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn is possibly on the verge of collapse this morning, according to an article from our partner The New York Times. The Times reports that the maid—who accused Strauss-Kahn of sexually assaulting her at a Manhattan hotel in May—may have lied about her asylum application, and may have been involved in drug dealing and money laundering. Strauss-Kahn is headed to court this morning, where his legal team is expected to ask for his bail conditions to be relaxed. 

On Thursday, Joyce enthusiasts around the world will convene for Bloomsday, an annual celebration of the novelist and "Ulysses." Take a peek at a marathon at Symphony Space’s reading featuring more than 100 actors and all 18 episodes of Joyce's classic novel.

The Museum for African Art announced on Tuesday it would delay the opening of its new building at Fifth Ave. and 110th St. to late 2012. The museum was scheduled to open this September.

Tents have ben pitched at Lincoln Center Plaza for the American Crafts Festival, celebrating its 35 anniversary this weekend and next. Over 200,000 guests are expected to attend the event, sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, which features the original, hand-crafted creations of 400 master artisans.

This weekend, pitmasters from across the country will take on New York one grill at a time for the ninth-annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. The event is intended to bring New Yorkers the best barbecue bites from across the country.

Although some city slickers head for the hills during the summer — to the Hamptons, to Fire Island, to the Shore or to the Catskills — most music fans agree that New York City's outdoor summer concert fare can not be beat. Here are some of the myriad musical happenings we'll be at this summer.