Brigid Bergin

New York, NY —

Twenty-four City Council members faced challengers in this year’s primary elections. In lower Manhattan, Margaret Chin was among those who succeeded in ousting an incumbent who voted in favor of changing the city's term limits law. She defeated two-term City Councilman Alan Gerson with close ...

New York, NY —

It's a courtroom drama seemingly made for the movies. Following the death of 105-year-old New York City socialite and patron of the arts Brooke Astor, a legal battle has waged for some 5 months. Ms. Astor suffered from Alzheimer's disease. And prosecutors allege that Astor's ...

On Tuesday night, George Sodini executed a terrible plan. He opened fire at an aerobics class in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, and shot 12 women, 3 fatally, before turning the gun on him...

The Cash for Clunkers program has been a huge success in the U.S., blowing through over a billion dollars in a week as Americans traded in their gas guzzlers for a voucher towards a n...

Parents are worried about the spread of H1N1 (or swine flu) when school starts up in September. In advance of potential outbreaks, the Obama administration is finalizing guidelines th...

It's August and the sun is shining. But two new studies show that kids are not getting nearly enough sun. The studies show that millions of children have disturbingly low levels of vi...

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police are asking members of the public to come forward with any information regarding the theft of $120,000 worth of jewelry stolen in Grand Central Terminal.

Two employees of a jewelry company were passing through the lower level of Grand Central Station one month ago today around 6 p.m. They were transporting about 800 pieces of gold and diamond jewelry including rings, neck chains, bracelets, earrings and pendants, and about $2,000 in cash, in a black duffel bag. The employee carrying the bag set it down momentarily to discard some garbage.

At that moment, the employee’s co-worker was approached by two men who created a diversion by dropping a $10 bill on the ground and informing the co-worker that he had dropped it. As the co-worker was occupied, a third man took the duffel bag and replaced it with a nearly identical bag that was weighted down to appear have the same weight as the bag containing the jewelry. After the bags were switched, the three suspects left the area separately.

All three suspects were wearing light blue uniform-type shirts and dark colored work pants. The two suspects who created the diversion are described as being Asian or Hispanic men and in their mid to late twenties. The prime suspect, who is believed to have taken the bag, is described as a white or Hispanic male with dark crew-cut hair and a thin to medium build. Surveillance video images of the prime suspect taken shortly before the theft appear in the attached wanted poster, which also contains images of examples of some of the stolen property.

New York, NY —

It’s the food story of moment. It's probably always -- at least here in New York -- the most talked about food. New York magazine had it on its cover this week. Of course, we are talking pizza. Well, we’re getting into the conversation here ...

New York, NY —

Safe schools don't need to employ strict policing tactics - that's according to a report to be released today by the New York Civil Liberties Union and two other advocacy groups.

The report praises six New York City high schools for creating safe and nurturing environments, ...

New York, NY —

An arts organization that's been serving the Lower East Side out of a dilapidated tenement for nearly 30 years, is on its way to building a brand new community center, thanks to a grant from the city.

ABC No Rio offers the community access to their ...

Doris Diether, seated, and Councilmember Alan Gerson speaking at a meeting of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors.

While the sputtering economy may be stalling some development ...

The WNYC news team's Main Streets project is spending a year looking closely at six blocks around the region. Karen Frillmann, Brigid Bergin, and Elaine Rivera discuss the goals of the project, what ...

New York, NY —

Born to Boogie and perhaps, Born for Awards? That's the question being asked of the Broadway musical, "Billy Elliot," which leads the pack among the shows receiving a Tony Award nomination this morning. The show, a transplant from England, received 15 nods. "Next to Normal" ...

New York, NY —

Buildings officials are working to shore up a five-story building in Lower Manhattan that partially collapsed this morning. The building, near Reade and Church Streets, was vacant, and undergoing renovations. No one was injured. Just yesterday, buildings inspectors issued citations for loose bricks and for ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson says the state's new state budget agreement does not represent an increase in spending.

Republican lawmakers have criticized the $131 billion agreement reached Friday because it includes close to $10 billion more than last year's budget.

Speaking on WWRL this morning, Paterson says those dollars ...

East Village History Project co-founder Rob Hollander

WNYC's Main Street Project is tracking streets across the city and in New Jersey. Last month, we gave you the first snapshot of

New York, NY —

WNYC's Main Street Project is tracking streets across the area. Last month, we stopped by the Bowery to see how New York's old Skid Row is doing today. But there's much more to the street's history. And that's the subject of a new exhibit opening ...

New York, NY —

Downtown residents have one more day to comment on the NYPD's proposal to install a network of 3,000 security cameras below Canal Street. Police say the cameras are necessary for their counter terrorism efforts, but critics say there's no proof they will prevent crime.

WNYC's Brigid Bergin takes us to a five-block stretch of the Bowery, from Houston to Delancey streets. The street is still home some century-old institutions like the Bowery Mission and specialized retail districts for restaurant supplies. But in recent years, an influx of new businesses along with cultural destinations are reshaping the neighborhood's economy and streetscape.
A New Life for the Bowery? by Brigid Bergin

The Bowery Mission was founded in 1879 and has been at this location since 1909.

The red doors open to a chapel where services are held daily. When the temperature dips below 40 degrees, the Mission staff opens the space for homeless men to sleep. The black doors lead to the Fellowship Hall, a cafeteria and kitchen that serves hot meals 365 days of the year. The Mission is privately funded and owns its buildings.

Alejandro Romero, 39, came to the Bowery Mission in July. He is a student in what they call their fellowship program. It's a six month substance abuse rehabilitation program for men. The students live on the upper floors and are required to work full time, doing everything from unloading the food trucks to taking out the garbage.

Herb Curruthers, 56, cooks meals at the Mission. He first came to the Bowery as a client 16 years ago after spending 8 years in jail. He's since gone to culinary school and has become a chef.

Here's Herb's story

New York, NY —

All so-called Main Streets are not alike. In Manhattan, main thoroughfares like Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street have gone through massive changes- yet they maintain anchor tenants that bring people back over and over. So it is with the Bowery. In the third installment ...