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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 Institute
Adem Brija, chair of Manhattan Community Board 11
Ulices Mendez, organizer with the East Harlem Tenant Union
Carey King, director of Uptown Grand Central
Lucille Songhai, MTA senior director of Government and Community Relations
Joe O’Donnell, senior director of Strategic Public Affairs at MTA Construction and Development
Photo cred: Ramsey Khalifeh- WNYC/Gothamist
Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org.
For 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 Harlem
The Second Avenue subway forced this East Harlem family from their home
As MTA moves ahead with 2nd Avenue subway extension, East Harlem locals brace for change
Other stories mentioned:
In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgrade
What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins

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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 & Gothamist
Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress
Council OKs bill to end horse carriage industry in NYC
MTA suspending bus fare enforcement teams after altercations emerge
Halloween in NYC: Events and Activities Mentioned in This Episode
28th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
Saturday, 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 Museum
Saturday, 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 House
Open 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 Attraction
Open 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 Crawl
Saturday, 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 Music
Friday, 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 Caveat
Saturday, 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 Eye
Saturday, 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 Park
Open 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 Parade
Saturday, 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.


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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 Images
Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org.
Parents grumble as NYC schools chancellor dodges calls for NYC schools integration plan
Join us on Thursday, October 22nd 2026 for In Conversation: The Affordability Series

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New York City is moving closer to ending its horse carriage industry. With the City Council preparing to vote on a bill that would ban carriage rides starting in June 2028, WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley visits a Hell’s Kitchen stable to hear from workers worried about losing their jobs and owners concerned about their investments.
Photo: Liam Quigley /WNYC/Gothamist
Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org.

These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
More on the proposed horse carriage ban
NYC Council, Mayor Mamdani agree to end Central Park's carriage horse industry
Teen's death in Central Park horse carriage fall has lawmakers pushing to ban industry
Central Park carriage horse died after eating toxic shrub, examination finds
Family says stray voltage may have contributed to fatal Central Park carriage crash.
More on safety concerns on Central Park's loop
Central Park's car-free loop is busier than ever. Crashes keep piling up

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WNYC and Gothamist arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to talk about Kelly Clarkson’s dispute with Brooklyn Heights shop Art of Play, a photographer trying to document every neighborhood in the city and what really makes someone a New Yorker. Plus, Citi Bike’s unlikely rise as a symbol of New York cool and some of the places opening their doors for Open House New York.
Photo: Sonia Rao/ WNYC & Gothamist
Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org.

Mamdani and 100+ NY officials urge parking lot owners to ban ICE
Avila Chevalier insists her beef is with NYPD Commissioner Tisch, not Mamdani
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City

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