Reasons to Love New York in 2024, According to New York Magazine

Summary

All Of It: Reasons to Love New York in 2024, According to New York Magazine

Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Corey Sika, New York Magazine Editor at Large
Release Date: December 6, 2024
Duration: Approximately 28 minutes

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Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart, the focus is on celebrating the vibrant culture and dynamic spirit of New York City in 2024. Joined by Corey Sika, New York Magazine’s Editor at Large, the show delves into the city’s myriad reasons to be cherished, drawing from listener contributions and insightful discussions.

Editorial Insights

Corey Sika provides an inside look into the editorial process behind New York Magazine's prestigious annual feature, 39 Reasons to Love New York. He explains how the team collaborates extensively, often locking themselves away for months to curate the most heartfelt and authentic reasons that encapsulate the city's essence.

Alison Stewart adds, “We do this all year because you look back in the year, do you remember that we had an earthquake this year?” (01:55) highlighting the unpredictable yet resilient nature of the city’s narrative.

Themes of 2024

The discussions reveal that 2024 has been a particularly uplifting year for New York City. From bustling nightlife and flourishing restaurants to iconic landmarks and vibrant streets, the city exudes a renewed sense of energy and optimism.

Corey Sika notes, “New York feels really good right now. I mean, I just probably jinxed us.” (02:31) reflecting the general sentiment of positivity among residents and visitors alike.

Listener Stories and Contributions

The heart of the episode lies in the diverse and touching stories shared by listeners, each illustrating unique facets of why New York remains unparalleled.

Preserving Traditions: Delis and SNL

Alison Stewart emphasizes the city's selective nature in preserving its beloved institutions. “If your deli of two decades or four decades changes, you're gonna be furious,” she states (04:03), underscoring the deep emotional connections New Yorkers have with their favorite local spots.

Corey Sika highlights Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a cultural pillar, saying, “SNL is how we talk about America,” (04:40) emphasizing its role in representing New York’s voice to the national stage.

Sports Triumphs: Mets, Yankees, and Liberty

2024 has been a banner year for New York sports teams. The Mets' playoff run and the Yankees reaching the World Series have ignited the city's passion.

A listener shares, “October was a great month for baseball fans in New York. The Mets made the playoff and the Yankees made the World Series,” (06:37), celebrating the thrill and camaraderie that sports bring to the city.

Moreover, the New York Liberty WNBA team clinched the 2024 championship, a monumental achievement hailed by fans. “The New York Liberty, they are the 2024 WNBA champs. This is like an incredible thing,” Corey remarks (17:44), applauding the team's dedication and success.

Unique NYC Experiences

Bed-Stuy Goldfish Pond: One of the standout stories involves a community-created goldfish pond in Bed-Stuy, which became a viral sensation. Alison Stewart narrates, “one of the greatest stories of the year and one of the greatest New York things of all time,” (08:07) describing how a leaking fire hydrant transformed into a beloved tourist attraction filled with goldfish.

Chalamet Lookalike Contest: A quirky yet charming event organized by Anthony Poe in Washington Square Park saw numerous Timothée Chalamet lookalikes converge, sparking a national craze. Alison Stewart explains, “there's enough smart people and hot people who look like Timothée Chalamet here,” (09:12) highlighting the city's knack for creating memorable spectacles.

House of Yes Dance Party: Marilyn from Chelsea recounts an exhilarating night at House of Yes in Bushwick, where exuberant dancing and live performances fostered a sense of community and joy. “Everybody dancing with everybody...how could I ever leave this city if this is what you can do on a regular Thursday evening,” she shares (12:13).

Acts of Kindness and Community Support

New York thrives on the kindness and support its residents show one another. Several listeners shared heartwarming stories of assistance and community spirit.

Lost and Found Miracle: A caller from Manhattan describes how a bus driver went above and beyond to return her lost bag. “He was so sweet...he got a bus driver to take me and my friend in a bus that was not in service yet,” she narrates (25:13).

Helping Eyes for the Visually Impaired: Harold from Midtown shares his experience of losing vision and receiving overwhelming support from strangers. “Young, old, different languages...offering assistance,” he says (27:06), showcasing the city's inclusive and helpful nature.

Cultural Institutions and Landmarks

The High Line: Contrary to its usual portrayal, the High Line also serves as a unique memorial space. Alison Stewart reveals, “we keep finding human ashes in one small, beautiful corner of the High Line,” (14:40) highlighting a poignant and personal layer to this beloved urban park.

Metropolitan Opera and Museums: Listeners praised the warmth and accessibility of New York's cultural institutions. From intermissions at the Metropolitan Opera fostering community interactions to museums offering free days, these institutions continue to enrich the city's cultural tapestry.

Social Progress and Accessibility

Elimination of Broker Fees: A significant legislative victory in 2024 was the removal of broker fees, alleviating financial burdens on tenants. Alison Stewart explains, “Chi Osay and compatriots have been trying to take away the process of forcing tenants to pay their landlord's broker,” (05:26), celebrating progressive changes that empower city residents.

Youth Independence: Discussions also touched on the increasing independence of New York’s youth, with children navigating the subway system confidently. Alison Stewart notes, “if you go into a Starbucks or you take the bus at like a 3:15 in the afternoon, you're gonna see a lot of 9, 10, 11 year olds doing great on their own,” (21:36), highlighting a unique aspect of urban upbringing.

Notable Quotes

• Corey Sika: "SNL is how we talk about America." (04:40)
• Alison Stewart: "If your deli of two decades or four decades changes, you're gonna be furious." (04:03)
• Alison Stewart: "We keep finding human ashes in one small, beautiful corner of the High Line." (14:40)
• Marilyn from Chelsea: "How could I ever leave this city if this is what you can do on a regular Thursday evening." (12:13)
• Harold from Midtown: "Young, old, different languages...offering assistance." (27:06)

Conclusion

The episode wraps up by celebrating the myriad ways New York City continues to inspire and captivate its inhabitants and visitors. From cultural triumphs and historic preservation to acts of kindness and social progress, All Of It paints a comprehensive and heartfelt portrait of why New York remains a beloved metropolis.

Listeners are invited to continue sharing their stories and reasons to love New York, ensuring that the city's rich and diverse tapestry is continually woven with personal experiences and communal pride.

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For more stories and cultural insights, tune in to All Of It with Alison Stewart, weekdays from 12:00 - 2:00 PM on WNYC.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

Listener supported WNYC Studios.

[Corey Sika]

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you're here. On today's show, we'll speak with cookbook author Margaret Eby. Her new book is titled you Gotta Real Life Strategy for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels impossible. Also, musician Noor Harcotti will be here. He'll perform live in our studio. And Booker prize winning novelist Samantha Harvey joins us to talk about her latest book, orbital. That's the plan. So let's get this started. Mets fans will recognize that song as one of the anthems of their playoff run this fall is called omg. And it's from Mets infielder Jose Iglesias, who performs under the name Candelita. The song is one of 39 selections that made the cut as part of New York magazine's annual Reasons to Love New York issue. Other reasons include to love New York in 2024. In the magazine, they say because the threat of prison forced Eric Adams to do his job, because Portal was hilarious, and because the Empire State Building posted I'm Fine on x after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake. Corey Sika is New York magazine's editor at large, joins me in studio.

[Caller]

Hi.

[Alison Stewart]

Hi. Thanks for having me.

[Corey Sika]

And we want to take your calls on your reasons to love New York. All right, you joined us last year for magazine 2023's Reason to Love New York. But remind us, how does the editorial process work?

[Alison Stewart]

Sure. I basically lock everyone in a room for several months at work. We do. We have, actually, we have a really bustling chat room of like almost 100 people at the office who. And we do this all year because you know what, you look back in the year, do you remember that we had an earthquake this year?

[Corey Sika]

Well, I had brain surgery this year, so I was kind of, I was a little busy.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, really? Oh, yeah. You weren't paying attention to earthquakes.

[Corey Sika]

But I do remember the earth. I remember the earthquake.

[Alison Stewart]

See, life happens and we miss earthquakes. So we keep track in real time and then we fight it out. We really duke it out.

[Corey Sika]

Did you, did you notice any consistent themes over 2024?

[Alison Stewart]

You know, not really. I feel like what we saw was that we felt like New York had an awesome year. Like, you know, like a couple years recently have been a little on the bubble. I mean, possibly personally and globally. Yeah. But I just, we thought New York was bustling. The parties are great, the restaurants are great, the stores are great. The buildings. I don't know. New York feels really good right now. I mean, I just probably jinxed us.

[Corey Sika]

Listeners, we want to know about what 2024 was a reminder of why you still love New York. Call us or text us now. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Was there a moment or a story or an experience you had that represented the best of what it means to live here? It could be something on the street, an encounter with a neighbor, a character, somebody in sports, anything. 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. We're looking for the New York. All right, so our phone lines blow up. We're going to go into your list. It's really, you know, it's interesting, actually, before I go into the list, your editors wrote maybe more than a city of constant turnover, we're a city of selective about what we decide to keep. So while we're a city of change, we are really discerning about what we decide to hold onto. Why do you think that's the case?

[Alison Stewart]

I think we're pretty choosy, first of all. But I think that we love an institution like the way you love your deli. And if your deli of two decades or four decades changes, you're gonna furious. You know, like, my favorite deli cat just died a few weeks ago. And like, he was part of my life for 14 years. So and I met him and he knew me and we were close. You know what I mean? So, like, but the other stuff, I don't care about it. It can all go away. So the stuff that survives the test of time, like, even if you're mad at Saturday Night Live that is turning 50 years old now, like, you're still going to defend it to someone who talks smack about it at Thanksgiving.

[Corey Sika]

Yeah, that was the number one thing, because SNL is how we talk about America. They're celebrating their 50th anniversary. And on various actors were on the COVID It's kind of interesting. David lachapelle did the pictures.

[Alison Stewart]

Yes.

[Corey Sika]

So elegant. Why do you think SNL is a venue for the rest of the country to kind of see this is how New Yorkers are talking?

[Alison Stewart]

You know, the stuff that goes on that show sometimes is just hysterically local. Like, there's like a lot of sketch stuff that just like, it shouldn't translate anywhere, like, past 14th street, essentially. Like, just really, we transmit that to America and we. That show represents New York to America and vice versa. It's like engaged in this constant dialogue and sometimes fight with the rest of the country about who we are and what politics is and about identity. Like I just, you know, it's amazing that it's been going. We've been beaming this to the rest of the world for 50 years. They must be very sleepy.

[Corey Sika]

Another reason to love New York is because we got rid of brokers fees. All right, so what role does social media play in the development of this becoming a law?

[Alison Stewart]

Sure. So Chi Osay and compatriots have been trying to take away the process of forcing tenants to pay their landlord's broker. As we all know as New Yorkers, we have all paid thousands of dollars for apartments. Very unhappily, it's kept us poor. It is finally gone. And she waged a war on social media essentially against the brokers. And the brokers were unprepared. And this passed with the veto proof majority. Eric Adams, who was tempted to do something about it, was tied. And they fought this war and they won. And I think, I think progressive people in the city feel empowered to make change right now because of that.

[Corey Sika]

We got some great texts coming in. I love New York's historic buildings. Our heritage tells the story of New York City. Love that. Another text says October was a great month for baseball fans in New York. The Mets made the playoff and the Yankees made the World Series. What's not to love about that? I'm still listening to oh my God. By the way, it says loving the energy Ellison. Although the cost of living keeps going up. I love our museums, like the American History of Natural History Museum showing my Tyler the T. Rex skeleton come to life from our favorite bedtime book is just the best feeling ever.

[Alison Stewart]

Wow.

[Corey Sika]

And I do like that a lot of our museums on certain days are free.

[Alison Stewart]

Yes.

[Corey Sika]

Let's talk to Suzanne who's calling or Susan calling from Manhattan. Hi, Susan.

[Caller]

Hi.

[Corey Sika]

Hi.

[Caller]

Can you hear. Can you hear me?

[Corey Sika]

Yeah, you're on the air. Go for it.

[Caller]

Okay. What I love about Manhattan is a much smaller thing. I mean, I love all those big things too. But when I recently went to try to get a battery changed in my watch. I'm an old lady. I still wear a watch. I went to the normal place, the Shoeman. But no, he doesn't do it anymore. He said go next door. And it was a barbershop and they changed my watch battery. I love that you can find those little things all over Manhattan and New York.

[Corey Sika]

Great story. Thank you so much for calling. Susan. Hey, we want to know what. What was a reminder to you about why you love New York? Was there a moment or a story or an experience that represented the best of what it means to live here? Share with us. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC My ride along for this is Corey Sika. He's New York magazine's editor at large. We're talking about their issue, 39 Reasons to Love New York. All right, this is so great. The Bed Stuy goldfish pond, you wrote, because several dozen goldfish in a Bed Stuy puddle became the city' hottest tourist attraction. This was big on my social media. I mean, I saw somebody call it the Bed Stuy aquarium. Tell people the origin of the Bed Stuy goldfish pond.

[Alison Stewart]

I mean, one of the greatest stories of the year and one of the greatest New York things of all time. Probably a little leaking fire hydrant formed a little puddle. These guys in the neighborhood decided to put goldfish in it. Some of the neighbors decided to kidnap the goldfish and try and save them. The goldfish were returned. This was like, we had a little class war. We had a little bit of things. But, you know, what happened is you saw on social, people came from all over the world to see this.

[Corey Sika]

Well, they made it look really beautiful on top of it.

[Alison Stewart]

You know, we consulted veterinarians. You know, they weren't too concerned. I mean, listen, we won't get into the pet ethics of this, but, like, but I love that you can make something here, and people show up from all over the world. It's wonderful.

[Corey Sika]

Speaking of making something here, let's talk about the Chalamet lookalike contest. All right, so this sort of started as, like, they were like, hey, like, flyers hang up around Greenwich Village saying that there was going to be a Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in Washington Square Park. And so many people showed up. So many. He showed up.

[Alison Stewart]

So, yeah. To back up one provocateur, this young person named Anthony Poe has been throwing events. He also, you may remember his cheeseball eating Union Square contest that he had. Spectacular. Not really a contest. Anyway, the Timmy Chalamet eating lookalike contest was wild. Someone got arrested. He was ordered to pay a fine. Mr. Chalamet attempted to pay that fine, which was very sweet. It set off a national craze of lookalike contests, which seems to be still going on. They're threatening to have one about the shooter this week, which we won't talk about.

[Corey Sika]

We Won't talk about that. We'll talk about, like, Jeremy Allen White from the Bear in Chicago and Glen Powell in Austin. But there was something. Why was the origin in New York City?

[Alison Stewart]

Right. Cause, you know what, you know, part of it is, and that goes to the fine is like, you can get this many people in Washington Square park, and there's enough cameras and there's enough critical mass, and there's enough smart people, and honestly, there's enough hot people who look like Timothee Chalamet here, too.

[Corey Sika]

All different eras of Timothee Chalamet.

[Alison Stewart]

You get a lot of.

[Corey Sika]

We had a Wonka Chalamet.

[Alison Stewart]

We had a. I mean, listen, he's a local high school kid. I understand why he showed up, but it was a little shocking that he just kind of waded in there. Like, we're used to seeing celebrities, but having him be like, no, it's me. It's kind of. It's wild.

[Corey Sika]

This text says, go. After going through many years of horrible bars and food, in the past two years, a lot of amazing spots have opened up and attracted people from everywhere. This is, to your point, 2024, for some people, turned out to be a good year. Like, the restaurants were buzzing in New York City.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. We started going back outside with a. With a vigor. And I. And I listen. I am not a young person. I am not every night, but let the young people in our office keep me in touch with things. And I will tell you the sound Spectacular people are out in the city now.

[Corey Sika]

Let's talk to Marilyn from Chelsea. Hi, Marilyn.

[Caller]

Hi, Allison. Thank you for taking my call. My most recent reason to love New York was about two weeks ago when I went to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend. We went dancing in the House of Yes in Bushwick. And it started with an hour of somatic dancing. And the idea was drop. That was the theme of the evening. We had to drop into our bodies. And after an hour of, you know, this dance floor full of people trying to drop into their bodies, we were ready, we were told, ready to go all out. And the music was amazing. And the result was a feast of exuberance and joy and love, and everybody dancing with everybody. And drummers came on on a few occasions, and people weld wild, and some, including me, fell to their knees to beat their hands on the floor. So I felt at the end of this evening, how could I ever leave this city if this is what you can do on a regular Thursday evening.

[Corey Sika]

Love that. Thanks so much for calling in. She brought me where she was the party.

[Alison Stewart]

That was great.

[Corey Sika]

Let's talk to Dan. Hi, Dan.

[Caller]

Hi. I'd like to pay homage to Zingoni Brothers. It's a small grocery store that's been operating on Columbus Avenue between 82nd and 83rd street for at least 80 years. And it operates for the neighborhood as sort of a general store would in a small town or a pub in Ireland. You catch up on news of what you know, your neighbors, very close community. We celebrate births and deaths, and it's just a wonderful touchstone to my childhood. And so it's a great place if you are a member of that community.

[Corey Sika]

Thank you so much for calling in. Let's talk to Larry. Hi, Larry.

[Caller]

Hi. Can you hear me?

[Corey Sika]

Yeah, I do hear you. Can you hear me? Yeah.

[Caller]

Hi. We come in from Brooklyn, from South Brooklyn or Park. We get on the ferry. We love to ride the ferry up and down the East River. It's so much fun. It's very cheap. And we great views of Manhattan. We stop at Dumbo. We walk around there for a while. We come back on the ferry. It's exciting. It's fun. Any nice day, we'll try to do that. So people should know about that, use it more.

[Corey Sika]

All right, Larry, thanks for the tip. And let's talk to Sarah. Hi, Sarah, thanks for calling, all of it. Hi, thanks for having me.

[Caller]

One of the things I love about New York is that I can leave.

[Alison Stewart]

My house and pretend that I'm in another country.

[Caller]

We have so many different cultures here, different languages, different food. It's one of the.

[Alison Stewart]

It is the most diverse place in the world. And also I went to that party at House of Yes, and it was amazing.

[Corey Sika]

Oh, my goodness. Love that. Love that so much.

[Alison Stewart]

We missed out, apparently.

[Corey Sika]

Listeners, we want to know what about 2024 made you love New York? Was there a moment or a story? Our numbers 212-433-WNYC 212-43396. My guest is Corey Secret, New York magazine's editor at large. We're talking about the reasons to love New York. Let's talk about the High Line. Somebody we thought, you know, I'm sure somebody's going to dial in and say they love the High Line. But you have the High Line on here for very specific reasons. Why is the High Line on your list?

[Alison Stewart]

One of our reporters, James Walsh, was talking to a gardener at the High Line, and she said, we keep finding human ashes in one small, beautiful corner of the High Line. In fact, she's actually identified a couple places now. So what we found, and we surprised the high line by telling them this, I think was that people are, people are making a memorial place for, we actually don't know human beings, parts of human beings, I mean, in Ash's form, of course, or pets perhaps. So this is also, by the way, entirely legal in New York City. You may leave human cremains many places in public parks, not ball fields. And we ask that you get a permit if you put it, put human cremains in the water. But other than that, this is a thing we can do.

[Corey Sika]

We can do anything we want in New York.

[Alison Stewart]

I guess. So, yeah. This was a shocker to us and it's very beautiful. I actually, it's on my list.

[Corey Sika]

On your list. New York magazine has its own list, 39 Reasons to Love New York. We're taking your calls at 212-433-WNYC. After the break, we'll talk sports.

[Alison Stewart]

Hey everyone.

[Corey Sika]

Join me, Megan Reinks and me, Melissa D. Monts, for Don't Blame Me, But Am I Wrong. Each week we deliver four fun filled shows and Don't Blame Me. We tackle our listeners dilemmas with hilariously honest advice.

[Alison Stewart]

Then we have But Am I Wrong?

[Corey Sika]

Which is for the listeners that didn't take our advice. Plus, we share our hot takes on current events. Then tune in to see you next Tuesday for our listener poll results from But Am I Wrong? And finally, wrap up your week with.

[Alison Stewart]

Fisting Friday where we catch up and talk all things pop culture.

[Corey Sika]

Listen to Don't Blame Me But Am I Wrong on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. You are listening to WNYC and all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest in studio is Corey Sika, New York magazine editor at large. We are talking about the magazine's new annual series, Reasons to Love New York. And we are taking your calls. Alicia's going to set us up perfectly. Hi, Alicia.

[Caller]

Hey there.

[Alison Stewart]

Hey.

[Corey Sika]

Hey.

[Caller]

I am calling. I'm calling in from Brooklyn and I have to shout out my New York Liberty WNBA team, our 2024 champions. And going to a game at Barclays center is a blast. It's like great for families with kids, great for anyone who appreciates sports in general. And also it's awesome to see these powerful women who are really the best in the game. Plus the incredible mascot, Ellie the Elephant.

[Corey Sika]

You are right. The New York Liberty, they are the 2024 WNBA champs. Yeah, I had to include that. Can we talk about how much the Liberty captured The imaginations of New Yorkers.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, this was you. And it was a huge sports year for New York. Like callers have said, but the liberty, you know, six years ago, they were exiled in Westchester. They were playing in a tiny stadium, and now they are, like, they brought the first pro basketball title to New York City since 1976. Like, this is like an incredible thing. They're an incredible team. The vibe is incredible. The ticker tape parade was amazing. Like, this is such a great success story. What's not to love?

[Corey Sika]

All right. The other great success story of New York, Cole Escola. Cole Escola. In O Mary, the magazine says, because no one's doing better than Cole Escola.

[Alison Stewart]

So Cole Escola was a downtown performer for a long time, beloved, and did this funny play. And you first started hearing about this play where Cole plays Mary Todd Lincoln, and you thought, what the heck? What are you talking about? This show goes gangbusters, transfers to Broadway, earns out in record time. Cole is now taking a victory lap and actually stepping out of the role and someone stepping in. But, like, that's just like an incredible. It's just like such an incredible New York story of success. Like, and it's leaving audiences delighted. And that's wonderful.

[Corey Sika]

Let's take a couple more calls. Bill is calling in from Manhattan. Hi, Bill.

[Caller]

Hi. This week we went to see the telecast of the Metropolitan Operas. Tosca in the afternoon and during the intermissions, all the people in the audience around and started talking to one of these each other. It was very friendly and very warm. Very special event.

[Corey Sika]

We love it. Thank you so much for calling. Let's talk to Elisa. Hi, Elisa.

[Caller]

Hello.

[Corey Sika]

Hi, Elise.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Corey Sika]

You're on the air.

[Caller]

Hi, nice to talk to you.

[Corey Sika]

Yeah, nice to talk to you.

[Caller]

Hi. I'm good, I'm good. I promise this wasn't a shameless plug just to get on the air. Two of my absolute all time favorite things about New York are you and Brian. So thank you for everything.

[Corey Sika]

Aw, thanks so much. We appreciate it. You never know. Next year, maybe next year.

[Alison Stewart]

Listen, you're on the long list.

[Corey Sika]

Every year, actually, somebody sent a text here says, Gotta ask, why 39? 39 is my favorite number, by the way. Why 39?

[Alison Stewart]

You know, we never pick a number. We just sort of end up with what we end up with. Like, it's very like, you know what I mean? Like, this year I was like, oh, I really want to get to 50. And then we didn't because the reasons weren't good enough.

[Corey Sika]

Very interesting.

[Alison Stewart]

We're Tough. We're not just saying nice things about everyone who walks by. We're tough over there.

[Corey Sika]

That's so interesting. This text says I got engaged in Central park two weeks ago. My longtime boyfriend brought me up to one of our spots, the conservatory water and with, oh, you know what, the toy boats from the Stuart Little for a quote unquote photo out. Oh, that's a really sweet story. Let's talk to. Who should I go with to? I'll go to Stephen and Princeton. Hi, Steven.

[Caller]

Oh, how you doing?

[Corey Sika]

Doing okay?

[Caller]

Hello. I was walking in midtown last summer and all of a sudden a middle aged Hispanic woman tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around and she handed me my money clip that had fallen out of my pocket, had $200 in it. That's why I love New York.

[Corey Sika]

What a good story. That is so great. You know, I do like to hear, you know, we've been hearing about Cola Schola and we've been hearing about the wnba, Liberty. People who are in New York are great.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, I mean New York has a lot of everyday heroes. We also help people around the world. This year we looked at how New York first responders went to go help in the hurricanes. This year we shipped people to wildfires. So like New Yorkers actually travel the country, like helping out people in crisis too.

[Corey Sika]

You had one about kids and it was called because Liam can get himself to fifth grade just fine. Tell us why this made the list.

[Alison Stewart]

You know, this is a little evergreen for us. But the fact of the matter is I think parents are talking about this a little more these days is what we hear. It's like how young is too young to take the subway on your own? And the answer might be younger than a lot of us have thought. And what this writer who's been looking at this for a long time has found that it's like she says, if you go into a Starbucks or you take the bus at like a 3:15 in the afternoon, you're gonna a lot of 9, 10, 11 year olds doing great on their own. This is a thing you cannot do in the suburbs. You will be run down on the street. Like, you know what, like New York City is like these, you know, if you take a look at your kid, assess your kid, they can, I think people are surprised by what they can do.

[Corey Sika]

It's true. I have to tell you, New York City, you know, you kind of go with God or your God. You put them on the subway, you hope they get there okay. And also you have trackers on Your phone now, too.

[Alison Stewart]

A lot of these kids are tracked. You know, it's funny. And she said she's, she's stopped tracking her children. She's like, maybe this kid gets to school when he gets to school. Maybe he goes to see friends afterwards. I'll find out later. That's tough. That's a long way to go.

[Corey Sika]

Let's talk to Susan from Brooklyn. Hi, Susan.

[Caller]

Hi. What I love is when I'm in Manhattan and I come out of the theater or movie or dinner with friends and I walk down into the subway and the train comes in a minute or two and I'm home in 30, 40 minutes. Top when the subways work the way they should. It's just a delight. And you can get around all of New York City easily.

[Corey Sika]

Thanks so much for your call. Yeah. Somebody wrote, love that I can take a 20 minute l ride from Ridgewood, Queens, and be in the middle of the holiday market in Union Square. This one says sidewalks and bridges. New York's era. Sorry, New York eras have agency. New York era has agency. Okay. We can walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn on a bridge. And someone else wrote, I love New York because people know how to walk fast.

[Alison Stewart]

I worry about this. I feel like, I don't know, I feel like we might be losing that edge a little bit. I don't know.

[Corey Sika]

Oh, do you really?

[Alison Stewart]

It's maybe just because the tourists are finally back and they're a little slower.

[Corey Sika]

They are a little slower.

[Alison Stewart]

Bless them.

[Corey Sika]

Let's talk about Damian Williams. He made the list. The outgoing U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. He had quite a busy year.

[Alison Stewart]

He did. He was very ambitious. And now, because we have a new presidential administration, he has pre resigned. But, you know, like, if you watch the diddy accusations and charges unfold, that's remarkable. He has pursued our mayor and the mayor's many, many friends. We'll see what comes of that. He really took people on and I think we'll be lesser without him.

[Corey Sika]

This says, no need to rearrange your whole apartment to make room for a Christmas tree. The Bronx Zoo has lovely animal themed holiday light show. And the New York Botanical Gardens still has the holiday train show with NYC landmarks. That is Christina in the Bronx. So what are the main reasons that you love New York these days?

[Alison Stewart]

You know, I actually am a huge fan of the accessibility of New York. Your subway collar really got me in my sweet spot there. I feel like that. And you know what I love? I love that I know when you live in New York, you know who you have to call about X and Y. It's like, I have a friend. It's like, do I need to know who's the hottest person in the ballet right now? I'm going to call my friend Wendy. Like, do you know what I mean? Do you know, should I go see this play? I'll call my friend Richard because Richard has already seen. And Richard will say, don't waste your time. Like, having that backbone of New Yorker in your life is key to me.

[Corey Sika]

Let's talk to Susan from Manhattan. Hi, Susan. Thanks for calling, all of it.

[Caller]

Hi. Thank you for having me. I had a wonderful experience with the New York Transit bus driver. I lost a bag, and I had a lot of wonderful things, all my personal things in the bag. And I called the lost and found, and someone answered, and they were so great and so nice. And I told him what my bag looked like. And he said, is there gum in here? And I said, yes. He said, tell me what kind? And I told him what kind? And he said, it's my favorite. So I came to get my bag, to retrieve my bag, and I brought him the gum, a pack of gum. And he was so sweet. And it was pouring that day. And so he walked me downstairs, and he got a bus driver to take me and my friend in a bus that was not in service yet. It was on its destination to drop us off at 57th street, which is where I live. Just like that.

[Corey Sika]

Love that story. Love that story. I love that. What kind of gum? Talk to Sam in Manhattan. Hi, Sam.

[Caller]

Hi. I love New York because on a random morning, I can get a notice on my phone about the 92nd Street Y program that's going to show a Billy crystal film called Mr. Saturday Night. And he's going to be interviewed by Bette Midler. So I wind up that evening watching these two New York legends schmoozing on a stage talking about life in New York. And it's just a wonderful thing to be able to do.

[Corey Sika]

Thank you so much for calling. And let's talk to Harold from Midtown. Hi, Harold.

[Caller]

Hi. Great show. I live in Midtown. Native New Yorker. I recently lost my vision. I'm learning how to use the sight cane. It's the wild west out there, as we know. I make my way to the busy second Avenue, and within moments, so many people are coming over to offer assistance. Young, old, different languages. Male, female. Do you need to cross the street? Which way are you going? And it's helping me, really, to learn and be bold. Love, New York.

[Corey Sika]

Thank you so much. And good luck with everything. Everything Theater for the New City. It's home to non commercial adventurous theater with ties to Off Off Broadway theater greats. Delightful, creative and still hungry. I like that as a possible tagline. Delightful, creative and New York. It's still hungry.

[Alison Stewart]

So good. A classic of the East Village. Yes.

[Corey Sika]

Thanks so much to everybody who called and texted in. And thank you to Cory Sika, New York Magazine at Large. Corey, it's good to see you.

[Alison Stewart]

It's nice to see you. It's great to hear everyone.

[Corey Sika]

WNYC next year, I'm saying just go on Fair WNYC Studios is supported by Audio Maverick.

[Caller]

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[Corey Sika]

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[Caller]

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[Corey Sika]

Whose programs brought millions of families around their radios each night. Audio Maverick features archival audio and contemporary interviews with media scholars as we explore the new generation of audio mavericks that Brown inspired.

[Caller]

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[Corey Sika]

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[Caller]

To get in touch and find out.

[Corey Sika]

More, visit sponsorship wnyc.org.