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In this week's Arts & Culture Check-In, WNYC and Gothamist arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to run through the stories coming off the desk this week. From the New York City Marathon turning 50 as a five borough race, to a trip into the underground control room beneath the Lincoln Center fountain, to two documentaries that have New Yorkers packing theaters, if you’re lucky enough to get a ticket.Photo: Sonia Rao for GothamistGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected] says he's 'confident' NYC will collect $500 million with pied-à-terre taxTrash containers take over Brooklyn parking spaces as NYC gets garbage bags off sidewalksWhat to expect and avoid in NYC’s Halloween, voting, marathon and daylight saving weekend Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Housing costs are the number one concern for many New Yorkers, and they’re at the center of this year’s race for governor. Kathy Hochul says the state has to build its way out of rising rents, while challenger Bruce Blakeman argues the city already has empty apartments kept off the market by rent stabilization laws, and says he’s proud that home prices have gone up.WNYC and Gothamist reporter David Brand takes us to East New York, where 24 year old Taylor Rivers works two jobs and still can’t find an apartment she can afford, to break down what each candidate is promising and why all the new construction hasn’t brought prices down. This is the final episode of our four part series, New York State of Unaffordability.Photo: Taylor Rivers / photo by David BrandGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected] plans redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue after nurse killed in hit-and-runGOP candidates in NY face a changed landscape on immigration  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recorded live at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in East Harlem, this installment of In Conversation: The Affordability Series explores the optimism surrounding the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway extension, along with the concerns and impacts felt by local residents and businesses. The Q train could bring shorter commutes, better connections and new opportunities to a neighborhood that has waited generations for improved transit. Community leaders, tenants, business advocates and MTA representatives discuss what the subway could mean for East Harlem and how longtime residents and businesses can take part in its future.Panelists include:Melody Capote, executive director of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora InstituteAdem Brija, chair of Manhattan Community Board 11Ulices Mendez, organizer with the East Harlem Tenant UnionCarey King, director of Uptown Grand CentralLucille Songhai, MTA senior director of Government and Community RelationsJoe O’Donnell, senior director of Strategic Public Affairs at MTA Construction and DevelopmentPhoto cred: Ramsey Khalifeh- WNYC/GothamistGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected] more of Ramsey’s reporting on the Second Avenue Subway extension in East Harlem:The Second Avenue subway forced him to move 20 years ago. He almost had to move again.Short-term pain for a long-term train: MTA subway construction upends life in East HarlemThe Second Avenue subway forced this East Harlem family from their homeAs MTA moves ahead with 2nd Avenue subway extension, East Harlem locals brace for changeOther stories mentioned:In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgradeWhat NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC and Gothamist reporter Hannah Frishberg joins us with some of the best ways to celebrate Halloween across New York City. From the Great PUPkin dog costume contest and haunted attractions to a Lower East Side bookstore crawl and some truly unusual live performances.Photo: WNYC & GothamistYour guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and CongressCouncil OKs bill to end horse carriage industry in NYCMTA suspending bus fare enforcement teams after altercations emergeHalloween in NYC: Events and Activities Mentioned in This Episode28th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume ContestSaturday, October 24, noon to 1 p.m. at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. Free for spectators. Competing dogs must register in advance for a fee. Part of Fort Greene Park's free Halloween Festival, running from noon to 4 p.m.Halloween on the Farm at Queens County Farm MuseumSaturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens. Trick-or-treating, a corn maze, hayrides, ghost stories and farm animals. Tickets are $15 for adults, $25 for children ages 2–17 and free for children under 2.Ridgewood Asylum Haunted HouseOpen through November 1 at 272 Seigel Street, Brooklyn. An interactive haunted house with escape-room elements. General admission is approximately $43. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday, 6 to 11 p.m. Halloween week hours are 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Advance online tickets recommended.Twisted Trails Haunted AttractionOpen on select dates through October 31 at 496 Annadale Road, Staten Island. Outdoor haunted trail with both scare-actor and less frightening no-actor sessions. Admission prices and hours vary by date; check the event calendar. An additional $10 fast pass is available. Children ages 3 and under enter free. Tickets are sold at the entrance on a first-come, first-served basis.Lower East Side Halloween Bookstore CrawlSaturday, October 24, throughout the day. Visit seven participating independent bookstores across the Lower East Side and surrounding neighborhoods, including Sweet Pickle Books, Book Club Bar and Yu & Me Books. Special discounts, costume contests and giveaways. Individual store hours and offers vary.Halloween Movie Night Honoring Tim Curry at Brooklyn Conservatory of MusicFriday, October 30, at BKCM Prospect Park West, 963 President Street, Brooklyn. Doors open at 6 p.m.; screenings begin at 6:30 p.m. Featuring Clue and Muppet Treasure Island, plus costume contests. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children under 18 and free for children 2 and under. Popcorn and a soft drink included.Catbaret: Meowloween at CaveatSaturday, October 31, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at Caveat, 21A Clinton Street, Manhattan. Cat-themed comedy, music, burlesque and a costume contest. Tickets are $30.08 online, including fees, $35 at the door or $11.63 for the livestream. Ages 21 and older.Swamp Dogg and Alana Amram's Muppet Cover Band at TV EyeSaturday, October 31, at TV Eye, 1647 Weirfield Street, Ridgewood, Queens. Doors open at 2 p.m.; show starts at 3 p.m. An all-ages Halloween concert featuring Swamp Dogg and a tribute to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Tickets are $26 in advance before fees, or $35 at the door if available.Haunted Hotel at Lakeside in Prospect ParkOpen through November 1 at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, 171 East Drive, Brooklyn. Haunted walkthrough recommended for ages 13 and older. Admission is $35 Tuesday through Sunday and $20 on Mondays. On Halloween, the Haunted Hotel is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The surrounding family-friendly Harvest Festival also features a pumpkin patch, $5 corn maze and $5 games.53rd Annual Village Halloween ParadeSaturday, October 31, beginning at 7 p.m., rain or shine. Free viewing along Sixth Avenue from King Street to West 15th Street. The parade is expected to finish around 11 p.m.Anyone wearing a costume can march for free. Participants should line up near Sixth Avenue and Canal Street between 6:30 and 9 p.m. No advance registration required for general marchers. Alcohol is prohibited. Paid VIP viewing and special-access options are also available.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some Upstate New York residents say their utility bills have more than doubled in the past year, and the cost of keeping the lights on has become one of the biggest issues in this year’s race for governor. As governor, Kathy Hochul has offered rebate checks and a new Ratepayer Protection Plan, while her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman has pledged to cut utility bills in half.WNYC reporter Jon Campbell takes us to Lockport, New York, to hear from residents and break down what each candidate is promising, how realistic it is, and what frustrated voters make of it all in the third episode of our four part series leading up to the November 3rd election: New York State of Unaffordability.Photo: Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News via Getty ImagesGot any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected] grumble as NYC schools chancellor dodges calls for NYC schools integration planJoin us on Thursday, October 22nd 2026 for In Conversation: The Affordability Series Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.