Listeners Share Their Weekend Plans

Summary

Podcast Summary: "All Of It" Episode - Listeners Share Their Weekend Plans

Introduction

In this vibrant episode of All Of It, hosted by David Fuerst in lieu of Alison Stewart, WNYC invites listeners to share their weekend plans, painting a colorful tapestry of New York City's diverse cultural landscape. All Of It focuses on celebrating and exploring the myriad facets of culture through the experiences of its community members. Released on April 25, 2025, this episode exemplifies the show's commitment to fostering a sense of community by highlighting both the host's activities and those of its listeners.

Hosts' Weekend Plans

David begins the episode by setting the stage for listener engagement, encouraging calls and texts about weekend activities. He also shares the weekend plans of the All Of It production team:

• Andrea is catching the latest work by dancer and choreographer Kyle Abrams at the Joyce Theater on Saturday afternoon, planning to watch Sinners with her kids in the evening, and taking her son to the SUNY College Fair on Sunday. Additionally, she's gearing up to watch the new season of The Last of Us, despite being frustrated with the previous week's episode.

  "She'll be back on Monday so it's Friday. I work weekends so my Saturdays and Sundays are probably not like yours." [00:23]

• Jordan, a producer, has a bustling weekend filled with pre-wedding drinks at Strong Rope Brewery, attending the Brooklyn Quilters Guild spring showcase, dancing at a friend's wedding at the Ace Hotel, and cheering on the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in hopes of seeing Aaron Judge hit a home run.

  "She's hoping to see Sinners in the evening with her kids." [02:15]

Listener Contributions

A steady stream of listener calls and texts enrich the episode with personal stories and plans:

1. Marie from Manhattan shares her involvement with Aging In Place, detailing her participation in Thursday softball games for those 65 and older at a picturesque Hudson River park.

   "They're fun but fierce." [06:40]

2. Tamara from Seaford, Long Island, originally from Seattle, enthusiastically describes her explorations across Long Island, including birdwatching and discovering local landmarks like the gargoyles on St. Patrick's Church.

   "Finding that big white duck up in Flannery Flattery up there somewhere." [08:50]

3. Rosaria from Bergen County expresses joy in supporting her sister's dance competition and cherishing time with her 96-year-old mother, highlighting the value of family bonds.

   "We look at old albums and we reminisce and it's just a real joy." [09:47]

4. Carlotta, a musician, announces her performance at CI Wear on Bleecker Street, where she'll be showcasing original music and eclectic covers during a trunk show event.

   "I'm writing music. I'm a singer and guitar player based in New Jersey." [10:40]

5. Elizabeth from Montrose eagerly anticipates attending Being Somebody at the Sparta Avenue Stage in New Jersey, a heartwarming father-daughter performance by an 89-year-old psychologist and his daughter.

   "It's inspiring, it's hopeful and it reminds us of the things that really matter in life." [11:48]

6. Julia from Manhattan promotes the Losers Lounge's tribute to Dusty Springfield at Joe's Pub, encouraging fellow music lovers to attend one of their two weekend performances.

   "I'm going to be singing and this is happening at Joe's Pub, a tribute to Dusty Springfield." [13:39]

7. Dan, the Handyman, introduces his Handyman 101 class in Long Island City, aiming to empower others with practical skills while humorously hoping to "put himself out of business."

   "I believe everybody should be a little bit handy." [14:55]

8. Tracy from Montclair, New Jersey, shares her excitement about attending the Penn Relays to support her daughter and her teammates competing in the 4x400 relay.

   "We're very excited." [15:37]

9. Steve from Hell's Kitchen plans to attend a special performance of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera with his friend visiting from Florida.

   "They're having a friend visiting from Florida. This is going to be a treat for her." [16:02]

10. Angela from Brooklyn discusses a proactive approach to improving communication with her Trump-supporting mother by collaboratively researching their family history and building a family tree.

    "We decided we're going to do some family history research and work on a family tree." [16:36]

11. Ginny from Brooklyn is excited to attend the Brooklyn Quilt Show, highlighting her daughter's participation and encouraging others to appreciate the craftsmanship on display.

    "My daughter has four of them in the show. And so I hope everybody gets out and looks at these quilts." [17:51]

12. Nora shares her passion for music by busking at the South Gatehouse of the Central Park Reservoir, performing a diverse repertoire from Ellington to Fats Waller.

    "I maintain that acapella solo singing is music." [20:19]

Notable Highlights and Insights

• Community and Diversity: The episode underscores the rich diversity of activities that New Yorkers engage in during the weekends, from sports and music to family gatherings and educational events.

• Intergenerational Connections: Calls like Rosaria's and Angela's highlight the importance of family bonds and finding common ground across different generations.

• Cultural Engagement: Listeners demonstrate a strong connection to the arts, whether through attending operas, supporting local musicians, or appreciating craft shows like quilting.

• Personal Growth and Learning: Initiatives like Dan's Handyman class exemplify the community's emphasis on continuous learning and skill development.

Conclusion

This episode of All Of It beautifully encapsulates the essence of New York City's cultural dynamism through the lens of its listeners' weekend activities. By sharing diverse stories and plans, the show fosters a deeper sense of community and appreciation for the varied ways individuals contribute to and engage with the cultural fabric of the city. Whether it's through sports, music, arts, or family connections, All Of It celebrates the multitude of experiences that make the city vibrant and inclusive.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "They're fun but fierce." — Marie [06:40]
• "Finding that big white duck up in Flannery Flattery up there somewhere." — Tamara [08:50]
• "It's inspiring, it's hopeful and it reminds us of the things that really matter in life." — Elizabeth [11:48]
• "I believe everybody should be a little bit handy." — Dan [14:55]
• "We decided we're going to do some family history research and work on a family tree." — Angela [16:36]
• "I maintain that acapella solo singing is music." — Nora [20:19]

Contact Information

For listeners interested in joining the conversation or participating in future episodes, All Of It encourages reaching out via phone at 212-433-9692 or through WNYC's social media channels.

Transcript

[Marie]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[David Fuerst]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios this is all of it on wnyc. I'm David Fuerst in for Alison Stewart who is enjoying a three day weekend. She'll be back on Monday so it's Friday. I work weekends so my Saturdays and Sundays are probably not like yours. So let me live vicariously through you. Tell me about the things that happen in the world. Call in and share with us what you are doing this weekend. Call or text us right now at 212-433-9692. That's 212433 WNYC. You can also write to us on social media LLNYC. Any events that you want to shout out that your fellow listeners should consider checking out this weekend. How do you like to enjoy New York, especially during this time of year as we have officially entered into springtime? Or are the allergies so rough right now that you're planning an indoor weekend? 212-433-9692. That's 212433, wnyc. Write to us social media llnyc. And while we get ready to take your calls, let's hear a bit about what team all of it is up to this weekend. Here's some of the mix from all of its producers. Andrea, who typically likes to be a homebody on the weekends, is unusually busy this weekend. Saturday afternoon she's planning to see the new work by dancer and choreographer Kyle Abrams at the Joyce Theater. And then she's hoping to see Sinners in the evening with her kids. And Sunday she's taking her son to the SUNY College Fair. Oh boy. As college applications will be the next big project for her family. That will take up much more than a weekend for sure. And oh, she's going to to watch the Last of Us even though she's still mad about last week's episode. Okay, that is a very full weekend. If you have any weekend plans you would like to share. 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. Jordan Producer Jordan has another busy weekend full of wedding activities. Okay, she's going to be going to pre wedding drinks tonight at Strong Rope Brewery in Red Hook. That's an incredible name, by the way, Strong Rope Brewery. On Saturday, she tomorrow she's going to be going to the spring showcase for the Brooklyn Quilters Guild, which her friend is featured in. And tomorrow night she'll be dancing the night away at the Ace Hotel at a friend's wedding. And to wrap it all up on Sunday, she's heading up to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees take on the Blue Jays and hoping that Aaron Judge will hit yet another home run. Wow, these are some amazing weekend plans. This is already filling me with things that I could be doing this weekend. 212-433-9692. That's 212433, WNYC. We have a text right now. Someone writing in to say this weekend I'm going to see Seth Myers and John Oliver perform at the Beacon Theater. Can't wait. Okay. That's a very cool weekend activity. Another text right now, someone saying, I will be running the Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon. Very cool. That is happening this weekend as well. If you want to tell us about your weekend plans, Again, the number 212-433-9692. That's 212433, WNYC. Kate Hines, of course, WNYC producer, extremely focused on bird watching. It's amazing actually that she's here with us today and not already out there doing the bird watching. We are coming up on peak migration. So that is what Kate has planned. Birding for the rest of this probably as soon as we finish here birding for the rest of the weekend. On Sunday, she is co leading a New York public radio bird walk in Central park with Jason Saul, WNYC's program director. And here is a very fun fact about Jason. He is a former managing producer for Bird Note, a two minute radio show about birds. So he knows his stuff. So that is happening on Sunday co leading a New York Public radio bird walk in Central Park. She's also going to rewatch the last couple of episodes of Andor so she can of season one of Andor so she can refresh her memory before starting season two, which as we heard earlier, Nick Kwaas had just came out. So she'll be catching up. And we're going to take your calls and hear what you have planned this weekend. The number, oh my gosh, how could I forget the number so quickly. 212-433-WNYC. And let's take one of your calls right now. Marie from Manhattan, welcome. Do you have weekend plans?

[Marie]

Hi. Actually I was just telling the person with whom I was speaking that there is a nationwide organization called Aging In Place, and it has local chapters. The Dutch somehow named the Upper west side where I live, Bloomingdale. And we have a Bloomingdale Aging In Place. And while we don't have specific weekend activities that I know of, every Thursday we play softball. And you have to be 65 or older to do it. And we play it on this incredible field in the park right on the Hudson river, practically.

[David Fuerst]

Wow.

[Marie]

And it's just very charming. It's wonderful company and a view that you can possibly not beat. And it's all priceless.

[David Fuerst]

That sounds spectacular. And tell me about what the games are like. Are they very fun games? You talk about the wonderful Company. How serious does it get?

[Marie]

They're fun but fierce.

[David Fuerst]

Fun but fierce. How long have you been doing this?

[Marie]

A couple of years now. Aye. But other people have been doing it for longer. And then we usually support one of the local restaurants. Afterward, we gather there, you know, and have coffee, food, beer, whatever. And it's just a really delightful group of people from all walks of life that are now retired. And it's really, really terrific. So if you're ever in our area on a Thursday, for the next few Thursdays, I think maybe five more will be. They're playing Swinging Away.

[David Fuerst]

And this is all involved with the nationwide organization, Aging In Place. And what's your local chapter?

[Marie]

Bloomingdale. The Dutch must have sailed up the Hudson river when all the flowers were in bloom, and they gave it a Dutch name beginning with B that translated into English as Bloomingdale. So our library on 100th street is the Bloomingdale Public Library, which has wonderful free films on Mondays. They recently showed the Conclave, you know, about electing the new pop. So it's just. It's just an astounding place to be.

[David Fuerst]

That's wonderful, Marie. Thank you for sharing. And if you would like to join the conversation. 212-433-9692. Tell us about your weekend plans or something. We should get out there and check out during the springtime in New York City. 212-433-WNYC. Tamara calling from Seaford, Long Island. Welcome to all of it.

[Marie]

Thank you. Hello, and thank you for taking my call. I'm originally from Seattle, born and raised. I came over in 2022, and I like to use my weekends to explore my new world. I have been in North, south, east and west on Long Island. Haven't made it out to Montauk yet, but I get in my vehicle and I just drive.

[David Fuerst]

So you are exploring what's one of the highlights for you?

[Marie]

Finding that big white duck up in Flannery Flattery up there somewhere. I didn't know where I was and so I posted on the Facebook page for Long Island Photography and they told me where I was. So finding things. The gargoyles on St. Patrick's Church. That's me.

[David Fuerst]

That's great, Tamara. Thank you for sharing and keep exploring. That's a great weekend idea. 212-433-9692. We have a text here. Here's a question. What is better on a warm spring weekend than a walk in the park or watching the sunset over the east river and a cocktail and a meal al fresco? So right there there's a great weekend activity. And let's hear from another call. This is Rosaria coming from Bergen County. Welcome to all of it.

[Marie]

Well, hello and thank you so much. I'm a native New Yorker stuck in New Jersey. Yes, unfortunately I wanted to share something that seems boring, but I feel very blessed. My sister owns a dance studio down in South Jersey and she has a competition this weekend and she lives with our 96 year old mom who's in good health. And I'm going tonight and I will be with her all weekend. We look at old albums and we reminisce and it's just a real joy.

[David Fuerst]

That's a fantastic idea for a weekend plan. Thank you so much for sharing. And let's see. Oh, we're getting a lot of calls right now. Let's hear from Carlotta. Welcome to all of it.

[Marie]

Hi, thanks for taking my call. I also work on the weekends. I'm a musician.

[David Fuerst]

Oh, excellent.

[Marie]

I am going to be playing at an eyeglasses store on Bleecker street in the Village called CI Wear and they're having a very big trunk show. They have beautiful glasses for great prices. And I'm going to be playing original music and a lot of eclectic covers from 2 to 5pm at CI Wear on Bleecker street on Saturday.

[David Fuerst]

And tell us about a little bit more about your band.

[Marie]

Yeah, I write music. I'm a singer and guitar player based in New Jersey and I do everything from classic rock to singer songwriter stuff to jazz. I just, I do everything. But this particular show is more like a singer songwriter y folk rocky kind of set at CiWare on Bleecker Street.

[David Fuerst]

That's great. Thank you for sharing and if you would like to join the conversation. 212-433-9692. That's 212433 WNYC. I'm David first, this is all of it in for Allison Stewart, enjoying a three day weekend right now. So let's hear about your weekend plans. And right now let's hear from Elizabeth calling in from Montrose. Welcome to all of it.

[Marie]

Hi, David. Thanks so much. I'm excited because this weekend I'm from New York, but I'm going out to see Spartan New Jersey to see a really special show. It's on Sunday afternoon. It's called Being Somebody at the Sparta Avenue Stage. And the star of the show is 89 years old. He's a brilliant psychologist. He started his acting debut at 87 and he's doing the show with his performing artist daughter. And it's a father daughter tale and they take us back in time. It's inspiring, it's hopeful and it reminds us of the things that really matter in life. So I'm really excited about the show on Sunday, Elizabeth.

[David Fuerst]

Inspiring and hopeful. Those sound like two wonderful things for us at this moment.

[Marie]

Yes, really.

[David Fuerst]

And that's happening. Tell us again, that's Sparta Avenue Stage.

[Marie]

It's at the Sparta Avenue Stage. It's in Sparta, New Jersey. And it's at 4:00 on Sunday afternoon. And it's beautiful. It's, it is an experience that people come back to see again and again. And it takes us back to the moments that really matter in our life.

[David Fuerst]

That is great. Thank you very much for sharing. This is all of it on WNYC. If you'd like to join the conversation, 212-433-9692. We have a text right now from West Village nature writer Keith Mitchell, who leads informal tours, mainly bird and lizard watching. Okay. Bird and lizard watching. That's one of those tours happening this Sunday, April 27th. Let's hear another call. This is Julia in Manhattan. Welcome to all of it.

[Marie]

Hi. Thank you.

[David Fuerst]

Do you have a weekend plan or are you involved in a weekend activity?

[Marie]

Yes. So I'm a singer and a musician and this weekend is the Losers Lounge tribute to Dusty Springfield at Joe's Pub. There's two shows tonight and tomorrow night, one at 7 and one at 9:30. I think there's some tickets available. It's a really, really fun show. So I highly recommend it.

[David Fuerst]

You're going to be singing and this is happening at Joe's Pub, a tribute to Dusty Springfield.

[Marie]

Yes, with Losers Lounge, which is an iconic New York collective of musicians. They've been around for, I think, going strong for over 30 years now in New York. And here's a bit of an institution.

[David Fuerst]

Here's a bit of a description right here. Joe McGinty and the losers Lounge are excited to present the music of the queen of Blue Eyed soul, Dusty Springfield. You're ready to sing?

[Marie]

I'm ready to sing and I'm going to wear blue eyeshadow.

[David Fuerst]

That's great. Thank you so much for joining us on all of it. Thank you for that weekend plan. Let's hear from Dan, calling in from Manhattan.

[Marie]

Hey, I'm Dan the handyman.

[David Fuerst]

Dan the handyman. What do you got planned?

[Marie]

I'm starting a handyman class this weekend and then I'm looking for more people for the next round.

[David Fuerst]

I'm going to teach pretty much handyman.

[Marie]

101 in Long Island City at my shop.

[David Fuerst]

Okay, hold on a second. Handyman 101 sounds like one of the most desperately needed classes in existence. Tell us more about this class.

[Marie]

You're telling me good business for me, but I believe everybody should be a little bit handy and lost that over the years. So I'm trying to find people that want to learn how to do their own thing, put myself out of business while I'm doing it. But I like teaching, so looking forward to it.

[David Fuerst]

Okay, Dan, thank you very much. That sounds like a great idea and a great weekend plan. Let's hear now from Tracy in Montclair, New Jersey. Welcome.

[Marie]

Hi, thanks for taking my call. So I was saying, my husband and I are heading to Pennsylvania tomorrow to watch the Penn Relays and we have our daughter and three teammates from the Montclair Kimberley Academy making their debut in the 4x400 relay which is at 10:03 tomorrow. So we're very excited.

[David Fuerst]

Very exciting. Thank you for sharing and my goodness, we have a lot of calls coming through right now and a texts some great weekend ideas. Here's one. Someone going to see Aida at the Metropolitan Opera Sunday at 3pm with Angel Blue in the title role. They have a friend visiting from Florida. This is going to be a treat for her. This is coming from Steve in Hell's Kitchen. Steve, thank you very much for sharing and let's take another call. Oh my goodness. Angela in Brooklyn. Welcome to all of it. Do you have weekend plans?

[Marie]

Yes, I do. My mom and I, as I told the screener, have been having trouble communicating lately because she's a Trump voter and I'm not and every conversation we have seems to degenerate into that. So we decided we're going to do some family history research and work on a family tree. So I'm really excited because I feel like this is something we can talk about that won't go into arguing.

[David Fuerst]

So this was a mutual decision. A mutual decision to focus on something else, right?

[Marie]

Yes.

[David Fuerst]

But to still be together.

[Marie]

Yes, exactly. Yeah. I'm very excited about it.

[David Fuerst]

How great is it that you're excited about that? That's fantastic.

[Marie]

Yeah, it should be fun.

[David Fuerst]

Angela, thank you for sharing that information. And let me mention the phone number again. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. It's Friday afternoon. We're talking about. I'm David Furst in for Alison Stewart. This is all of it. And we're hearing from a lot of you, hearing about a lot of your weekend plans. Ginny, in Brooklyn, do you have a weekend planned for yourself?

[Marie]

Yes, I'm going to the Brooklyn Quilt show on Saturday and Sunday. It's going to be at 163 26th street in Brooklyn. And it's all Brooklyn. People who love quilting are going to be showing their wares.

[David Fuerst]

Very cool. And I'm getting word this is the same show that Olivet producer Jordan is going to. So this is the place to be.

[Marie]

This is the place to be. There's a $10 charge to get in, but if you buy the, you have to buy the ticket at the door. It's 12. But it's worth it because the quilts are absolutely beautiful and my daughter has four of them in the show. And so I hope everybody gets out and looks at these quilts.

[David Fuerst]

That is fantastic. Thank you for sharing. And we have a lot of texts. Oh, here's a good one. I live in the great state of New Jersey. No regrets here. And I live in the great state of New Jersey, too. So thank you for sticking up for us there where I enjoy what I enjoy doing. I want to get out and bird watch and appreciate nature. This weekend, participating in an Earth Day cleanup at a local park. What a fantastic idea. Thank you for sharing. Sharing your weekend plan. We have a caller here. I think we have a caller here. You have to let me know because this person was driving and perhaps has pulled over. Perhaps is in a safe place now. Taji, do I have that right? Okay. Dropped the call. So not in a safe space yet. So if you're listening, call us back. We'll see if we can get you on. Here's a great text. Someone calling, someone texting in to say they're getting away with best friends of 25 years to Rhinebeck, New York. That's a fantastic idea. Getting together with friends. Sometimes it's just as simple as that. That's a fantastic weekend plan right there. Someone wants to know how to contact Dan the handyman. They are very interested in that class. So maybe we need to hear back from Dan. If you're listening, let us know more information about how to get in touch and hear more about your Handyman 101. Thank you for letting us know about it and we'll try to get to that before we wrap up here. We have time for another call. Let's see if we can take Nora right now. Nora, welcome to all of it. Do you have a weekend plan?

[Marie]

Thank you. Yes. For years now, I'm a singer. I've been busking at the south gatehouse of the Central Park Reservoir on weekends. And it looks like Sunday will be the day. I'll be there this weekend because Saturday looks like a washout. And it started because I wanted to have something to do while I waited for open mics, which are not happening any longer, the ones I used to go to. But it really. I've grown so much as a singer and I love it. And I'm sort of doing very broadly the songbook, but through like the Ellington song youg Never Heard and the Fats Waller song youg Never Heard and the Rogers and Hart ballad you Never Heard. And it's a real joy. And there for the hearing. But of course, donations are gladly accepted.

[David Fuerst]

That's fantastic. And where is that happening again?

[Marie]

The South Gatehouse of the Central Park Reservoir. I usually show up around somewhere between a little before noon and 12:30. I try to get there on the earlier side, but it doesn't always work out. And I'm there for a few hours.

[David Fuerst]

You're there for a few hours?

[Marie]

More than a few. Yeah. And it's just as Billy Holidays say, just me and my old voice, which is a tough sell for some people. But I maintain that acapella solo singing is music.

[David Fuerst]

That is great. Thank you very much for sharing. And oh, I think we have information about how to get in touch with Danthandyman. Let's see here. Teamhandydan.com okay, so teamhandydan d a n.com so that is some helpful information there for some handyman training. Someone else texting in to say they're going to visit the flower Garden on 89th street between Amsterdam and Columbus. The tulips are in bloom and it's beautiful. That's a fantastic plan right there. And oh my gosh, so many other plans. We're not going to have time to mention them all at this moment, but thank you so much for calling in and letting us know all of your weekend plans. This is all of it on WNYC. We'll be right back after a break.

[Marie]

Since WNYC's first broadcast in 1924, we've been dedicated to creating the kind of content we know the world needs. In addition to this award winning reporting, your sponsorship also supports inspiring storytelling and.

[David Fuerst]

Extraordinary music that is free and accessible to all.

[Marie]

To get in touch and find out more, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.