[MUSIC - NYC Now: Intro]

Janae Pierre: From WNYC, this is NYC Now. I'm Janae Pierre. Cherry blossoms, staycations, and new films from new directors. That and more ahead on this edition of the Arts & Culture Check In. Before we get into that, here's what's happening in our region. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says most of the city's free seats for two-year-olds this fall will run for the full working day and extend the whole year. That's unlike the city's existing preschool programs that end by 3:00 in the afternoon and aren't open in the summer. Mamdani made the announcement in Brownsville. That's one of the five school districts where the city will launch the first seats for the 2-K program.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Holding down a 9-to-5 and managing pickup and drop-off at a traditional 3:00 PM time can be unmanageable. We see parents who are forced to either miss important work obligations, reduce work hours, or shell out for secondary childcare.

Janae Pierre: The mayor says a majority of the Programs will run 10 hours a day from 8:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is urging Mark Zuckerberg to help stop immigration scams from proliferating on Meta's platforms. The DA's Office says scammers on Facebook and WhatsApp are pretending to be attorneys who provide immigration services in exchange for money. In some cases, they use fake profiles with the same names and logos as real organizations. Bragg says he sent a letter to Meta this week, but his office hasn't heard back. Meta did not immediately comment.

If you're like me, you're looking forward to some warmer weather after a long and brutal winter, but another seasonal foe is around the corner, unfortunately. That's peak rat season. Caroline Bragdon is a Pest Control expert with the New York City Department of Health. She says the record-breaking winter temperatures likely quelled rat populations over the last couple of months.

Caroline Bragdon: The spring is typically a time of high reproduction, and as the weather gets warmer, you may also see more juvenile rats or young rats.

Janae Pierre: Here are some of the most common ways to repel rats: frequent inspections, pest-proofing doors and vents, as well as making sure all food and garbage is sealed at all times. We got to take a quick break, but when we return, WNYC's Matt Schnipper joins me for another edition of the Arts & Culture Check In. There's a lot to get into as true spring begins to set in. Stay close.

[MUSIC - Arts & Culture Check In: Intro]

Janae Pierre: Welcome to another edition of our Arts & Culture Check In, a look at what's been coming across the Arts & Culture desk here at WNYC and our news site, Gothamist. Here to walk us through it is Matthew Schnipper. He's our newsroom's Arts & Culture Editor. Hey, Matt.

Matthew Schnipper: Hi, Janae.

Janae Pierre: What's going on?

Matthew Schnipper: Just getting excited to chop it up with you.

Janae Pierre: Oh, yes.

Matthew Schnipper: It's springtime.

Janae Pierre: Spring bling, cha ching. Matt, quickly, have you traveled recently?

Matthew Schnipper: I went to Vermont in February. Does that count?

Janae Pierre: I guess that's recent.

Matthew Schnipper: I did have to get on a plane.

Janae Pierre: Oh. How was your TSA experience?

Matthew Schnipper: This was pre-nonsense, so it was not terrible.

Janae Pierre: It seems like this has been going on a long time, you're right.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, it was okay. It was cold in Vermont. I would say that was more of the thing.

Janae Pierre: Recently, people have been going through hell, those who are traveling. You've seen it on social media and the news; the lines for TSA are so unpredictable right now because of staffing shortages from the shutdown, and, of course, if you are trying to take a road trip or go anywhere by car, gas is so high right now. $4, I saw. $4.

Matthew Schnipper: You got to be Bill Gates to take a drive?

Janae Pierre: Yes, pretty much.

Matthew Schnipper: I don't think so. Melinda Gates?

Janae Pierre: She's doing well, too, but a good option is a staycation.

Matthew Schnipper: I think so. You live in New York City; people spend a lot of money to come here to the place that you just already are.

Janae Pierre: Yes, easy.

Matthew Schnipper: Why go where they are?

Janae Pierre: Yes. You all had a story on your desk talking about staycations.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes. Hannah Frishberg, a reporter on my team who is a lifelong New Yorker, went through and recommended a few places that you can go. Alternates to hotspot destinations such as Las Vegas. Sin City, you may have heard of it.

Janae Pierre: Yes.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes. Honestly, I don't actually want to go there, but if you do--

Janae Pierre: I'm not a gambling woman.

Matthew Schnipper: No, I'm not a gambling woman either.

[laughter]

Matthew Schnipper: We do now have a casino in New York City, so you can head out to Resorts World Casino, which is not so far from JFK. It's close to the Aqueduct Raceway. You can spend all of your money without having to also buy a plane ticket. No need to go all the way to the Bahamas.

Janae Pierre: Yes. I will say, though, I have been at the casino for the buffet and to wait for friends. However, I didn't know this about the casino, and I'm not sure if that's a thing here, but you can sit at a slot machine and get free drinks?

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, they will give you drinks forever.

Janae Pierre: That's the coolest part.

Matthew Schnipper: That is the coolest part. You are paying for it somehow.

Janae Pierre: Somehow. Sure.

Matthew Schnipper: It's like when you get free shipping, I'm doing air quotes here, it's like you paid for that.

Janae Pierre: Yes. Right. Okay, what else?

Matthew Schnipper: This is, I'm revealing myself to be cheap here, I feel like. [laughs]

Janae Pierre: "We," my friend, "we."

Matthew Schnipper: Thank you for the solidarity. We were thinking where people want to go; they want to go to Iceland. A lot of people I know have been going to Iceland.

Janae Pierre: Really?

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, very trendy, sparkling, blue lagoons. Don't do that. Go to Coney Island.

Janae Pierre: Ah, that's cheaper. Way cheaper.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, much cheaper. Water is water, you know?

Janae Pierre: I don't agree with that part.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, okay, that's fair, but it's fun to go down to Coney Island. I don't know if you spend a lot of time down there, but it's real, it's bustling. New York City is on an island. You don't have to go to Iceland.

Janae Pierre: Man, this conversation, I know we are early into it, but I am-

Matthew Schnipper: Riveted? [laughs]

Janae Pierre: -pumped for the real spring to hit, for the summer months. This is great. What else can I plan for my staycation?

Matthew Schnipper: There are pyramids in Egypt, which we don't recommend you flying to, when you could just go to Kabab Cafe-

Janae Pierre: Ooh, okay.

Matthew Schnipper: -in Astoria. Go get some Egyptian food, hang out with Chef Ali Sayed. He is great, funny, sharp, and the food is fantastic.

Janae Pierre: What should I try there?

Matthew Schnipper: Bone marrow. Eat it.

Janae Pierre: I don't eat meat.

Matthew Schnipper: Well, that's-- you shouldn't go here, actually. [laughs] All right. If you're not a vegetarian, go there. If you are a vegetarian-

Janae Pierre: Eat before you go.

Matthew Schnipper: -you're allowed to go to Egypt, then. That's fine.

Janae Pierre: [laughs] Let me-- one moment while I book my ticket. All right, so turns out I can't afford to go to Egypt right now.

Matthew Schnipper: All right, so you have to start eating meat kebabs. The Kabab Cafe is in Astoria, go check that out.

Janae Pierre: Well, maybe I can travel with my mind.

Matthew Schnipper: Maybe so.

Janae Pierre: The New Directors/New Films Festival is happening right now until April 19th. What's going on?

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, this is a long-running film festival. It's the 55th year. It is a partnership between The Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center, and it does what it says on the tin. They bring in new filmmakers, some of the filmmakers that they have shown films from early on in their careers: Christopher Nolan, Spike Lee, and Wong Kar-wai. This year, they have got a lot of names who you wouldn't know, just like you wouldn't have known those names 20, 30 years ago, but there's a whole array of movies happening starting right now.

Janae Pierre: Want to talk about a couple of the movies?

Matthew Schnipper: Yes. I did get a chance to see one that I was actually pretty excited about. I was curious, maybe skeptical, to see not Charli XCX's acting debut, but I would say the first big and real role that she's escaped into. This movie is called Erupcja, forgive my Polish pronunciation. It's a movie made by an American director named Pete Ohs, who has actually relocated to Poland. For those of you who are familiar with the mumblecore movement, it is not so different than that.

Essentially, Charli is a British woman who goes to Poland with her boyfriend. Turns out she's been there a few times before and has a friend that she likes to party with. She does not tell that to her boyfriend, and she escapes into the Polish nightlife while he figures out, "What the hell is going on with my girl?"

Janae Pierre: Yes. The person playing her boyfriend looks a lot like her husband here.

Matthew Schnipper: I watched this with my wife, and another one of my colleagues watched this, and everybody's had the same question, "Is that Charli XCX's husband?" No, it is another bald man. I want to say, on behalf of all of us, we are not the same.

Janae Pierre: [laughs] Yes, you don't look like him.

Matthew Schnipper: No, he's taller. Thank you, Janae.

[laughter]

Matthew Schnipper: No, I don't look like him. If only.

Janae Pierre: Okay. Call out to you, dear listener, if you check out the New Directors/New Films Festival and you go out to see anything, let us know what you think. Hit us up at nycnow@wnyc.org. All right, so as I mentioned, Matt, I'm so excited for this true spring to hit us soon and the summer months. You know the one thing I'm always super excited about? Is the cherry blossoms blooming around the city, and we're seeing some right now, right?

Matthew Schnipper: Absolutely. I'm starting to see some in my neighborhood, which is really fantastic.

Janae Pierre: It's just, it places a smile on your face, you can't help it.

Matthew Schnipper: Absolutely. In Central Park, there's cherry blossoms all around. There's Cherry Hill near the Bethesda Terrace. They reliably have got them. I learned about Yoshino cherries, which are arcing over the path. There's the Pilgrim Hill on the Upper East Side, and those are early, so I think those are out right now. The Central Park Conservancy, they have a tracker that will let you know the best time to go where, which is an incredible use of technology, in my opinion, as someone--

Janae Pierre: That's what it should be used for.

Matthew Schnipper: Cherry blossoms or nothing. That's it.

Janae Pierre: [laughs] Yes, but we also need allergy medicine, so if that's an issue for you, like it is for me, do go outside prepared. I'm popping a pill every morning.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes. Are you heading to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden yourself?

Janae Pierre: Not right now. At some point.

Matthew Schnipper: Well, head to Brooklyn Botanic Garden if you want. The Cherry Blossom festival there is quite lovely, but the trees are beautiful.

Janae Pierre: Yes. Any advice as far as beating the crowds?

Matthew Schnipper: No, just there's none. [laughter] There are crowds. Don't go on the weekend, but do you have a job? I don't know.

Janae Pierre: Call in sick.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, call in sick. That's good advice.

Janae Pierre: That's what I'm going to do.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, exactly. No, there are crowds. This is New York City. I'm sorry.

Janae Pierre: Yes. All right, so I don't mean to fast forward here, but spring, summer; they're just back to back, right? And I know--

[laughter]

Matthew Schnipper: "One, it is next to two."

Janae Pierre: Yes, but I know you've been keeping up with Mayor Mamdani's cultural reference, and someone asked him about drama with a Summer House?

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, I had to learn about Summer House, unfortunately. Are you a  Summer House fan?

Janae Pierre: No.

Matthew Schnipper: Have you learned about the  Summer House drama?

Janae Pierre: No, but you're about to teach me.

Matthew Schnipper: I don't think I can teach you about this. West, another guy dating someone else. Whatever. I know someone is listening to this and going-- cursing my name for thinking it's not that serious, but I only know Ciara from Traitors. That's important television to me.

Janae Pierre: Yes, agreed.

Matthew Schnipper: I do know that Ciara got played by her friend, who I think is now dating her. I think I do actually know what's going on.

Janae Pierre: Okay, tea.

Matthew Schnipper: Anyway, so a street interviewer, Adam Glyn, asked Mamdani for his take.

Adam Glyn: What's your advice to Ciara? She's basically heartbroken that her ex is with a fellow friend.

Matthew Schnipper: Mamdani, in the most Mamdani thing I ever could imagine, he was like--

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: That's rough. I guess the first thing I would say to her is thank you for saving people's lives.

Matthew Schnipper: He's like, "Ciara, she's a nurse. I'd like to say thank you for your service." I was like, "Well, she's just amazing." I was like, "Thank you." Then he asked about the other guy, West, I believe that's who he was asking about, and he said--

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Brother, I don't know who that is.

Janae Pierre: That's hilarious. [laughs]

Matthew Schnipper: "Brother, I don't know who that is." You know?

Janae Pierre: Definitely. All right, so another thing that makes me think of summer: the US Open, man. I have to admit, I'm into it because of the honeydews.

Matthew Schnipper: Oh, really? Yes.

Janae Pierre: It's a New York City staple. Have you gone?

Matthew Schnipper: It's great. I have. I went last summer, and speaking of being bald, like I was recently, I got deeply burned on top of my head.

Janae Pierre: [laughs] No, I'm so sorry to hear that.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, it's fine. That's my takeaway from the US Open: don't be bald. Anyway, yes, I had a great time at the US Open last summer. It was my first time going, and it was great.

Janae Pierre: Oh, so I've gone, I want to say, every year for the past four years.

Matthew Schnipper: Oh, that's cool.

Janae Pierre: Yes.

Matthew Schnipper: I'm jealous.

Janae Pierre: Yes, you should be.

Matthew Schnipper: [chuckles] We noticed, this year, there's a ball crew. That's the ball boys and ball girls, ball men, ball women who are-- you've always seen them. They're always standing like little statues at the back of the court and running, picking up the balls, and passing fresh balls to the players.

Janae Pierre: Very impressive.

Matthew Schnipper: An amazing thing. I've actually always wondered, how do they get that job? The answer is, they apply for it on the internet? Which is apparently a thing you can do. I did not know.

Janae Pierre: Wow.

Matthew Schnipper: Applications are actually currently open. They have about 100 spots because they have a number of people coming back from last year, but you can apply now to be on the court at the US Open.

Janae Pierre: Is there a physical as well as an application? Because the stamina- [chuckles]

Matthew Schnipper: Yes.

Janae Pierre: -to go back and forth and chase the ball, it's impressive.

Matthew Schnipper: It's like you're taking the driver's test, where there's the written test, and then they put you behind the wheel. You have to apply, and in your application, you need to write a little bit about "What's your personal relationship like with tennis? Why do you want to do this?" Then you have to answer some quiz questions.

Janae Pierre: A test?

Matthew Schnipper: There is a test.

Janae Pierre: Count me out.

Matthew Schnipper: They're pretty basic.

[laughter]

Matthew Schnipper: Aw, that's so sad.

Janae Pierre: Count me out.

Matthew Schnipper: They're some pretty basic questions. "Player A is serving, and the game score is 30 to 15. Player A serves a double fault. What is the game score?"

Janae Pierre: Are you asking me? I'm not applying. I'm not applying.

Matthew Schnipper: [laughs] Well, they have a number of questions like that.

Janae Pierre: I go for the vibes, man.

Matthew Schnipper: Go for the vibes.

Janae Pierre: You know what, Matt? You tried to hit me with a question. Lucky for me, my producer has a couple of the questions here for me, and I'm going to ask you, all right?

Matthew Schnipper: No worries. All right, let's see.

Janae Pierre: What is the maximum number of sets that can be played in a men's Grand Slam match?

Matthew Schnipper: I want to say six.

Janae Pierre: Oh.

Matthew Schnipper: Oh, it's five. All right, well.

Janae Pierre: All right, how many Grand Slam tournaments are played each year?

 [00:15:56]

Matthew Schnipper: It's funny, I'm looking at the options, and we've got, "Two, three, four, five." If there were no choices, I would have said 12. 12, right? Yes, it's 12.

Janae Pierre: It's four.

Matthew Schnipper: It's four?

Janae Pierre: It's four.

Matthew Schnipper: Four?

Janae Pierre: All right. Well, I guess I'll see you at the US Open.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, totally, where I'll be buying tickets.

Janae Pierre: Right. [laughs] Hey, also, ball girl, ball boy, shout out to everyone who has had that position. They always look so fly.

Matthew Schnipper: Oh my God, the Ralph Lauren.

Janae Pierre: The Ralph Lauren? Amazing.

Matthew Schnipper: Yes. I actually have an eBay alert for Ralph Lauren US Open clothes, just hoping-- They show up, the new ones, but the older ones hasn't hit really. For a couple of years, I've been just waiting and hoping, at some point, somebody's going to put their '90s gear up, but it hasn't happened.

Janae Pierre: Yes. All right, you know, Matt, it's never too late to try some new things in life.

Matthew Schnipper: It's true. We were looking, "Hey, what's going on this weekend?" And I saw, occasionally, the club nowadays in Ridgewood, Queens, does 24-hour parties. Now, this is great because you can show up anytime.

Janae Pierre: Anytime, yes. [laughs]

Matthew Schnipper: Name a time, it will be open. 3:22 AM/PM? Open. Noon, midnight? Open. You want to go? They're there.

Janae Pierre: You went?

Matthew Schnipper: No, I didn't go to that one. That's this weekend. You can go see Byrell The Great play this weekend, but I was like, "Other people should go to that." I went, recently, to the-- there was a 24-hour party near my house, this roving party called Merge. A couple of months ago, I found out it was happening, and this guy named DJ Nobu was headlining, which meant he started at 8:00 AM, and I was like, "You know, I am awake at 8:00 AM, this is a couple of blocks from my house, I'm going to go."

Janae Pierre: Start your day with DJ Nobu.

Matthew Schnipper: It was Sunday morning, and I went, and I was wearing corduroys. I was just like, "I look--" and everybody has been up all night. A couple of people came in early. I was not the only person who was arriving at that time, but for the several hundred people that were there, I would say there's 5 or 10--

Janae Pierre: [mimicking drum sound]

Matthew Schnipper: Yes, that was very accurate, and the music was good. DJ Nobu is a techno DJ, and this was a very straight-ahead set. It sounded like what you were doing for about two hours, and I was very hot. The woman at Coatchek was like, "You should take your sweatshirt off, it's pretty hot," which I appreciated, but I still was wearing corduroys and my stupid Merrells.

[laughter]

Janae Pierre: Embrace your dad swag.

Matthew Schnipper: Thank you. I was actually embracing myself at this, emotionally at least, because I was stoked I was out. I was out, it was 8:30 AM, and then I went to breakfast for my brother-in-law's 40th birthday.

Janae Pierre: [laughs] Nice.

Matthew Schnipper: It was great. I think the more that you can find yourself in a place that you might not always be, I think the better.

[MUSIC - Arts & Culture Check In: Outro]

Janae Pierre: All right.

Matthew Schnipper: Staycation.

Janae Pierre: Yes, definitely. That's a good time. Wow, you set us up with a lot.

Matthew Schnipper: Thank you.

Janae Pierre: I'm excited.

Matthew Schnipper: It's a big city, you know?

Janae Pierre: That's WNYC's Arts & Culture Editor, Matthew Schnipper. Thanks a lot, Matt.

Matthew Schnipper: Thanks, Janae. Catch you on the dance floor.

Janae Pierre: Yes, see you there.

Matthew Schnipper: See you there.

Janae Pierre: Thanks for listening to NYC Now. I'm Janae Pierre. See you next time.

[MUSIC - Arts & Culture Check In: Outro]

 

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