Roger Clark
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@NY1 News Reporter - 3-time Emmy winner. Mets, Jets, Rangers, Knicks - @SyracuseU @NewhouseSU grad. NYC Native - Drummer @PerpWalkNYC - My opinions /not emplyr
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Articles by Roger Clark
Exhibit explores the music revolution in NYC
During the mid-1970s, New York City wasn't doing so well and had no money. Case in point, a document exists that officials prepared to declare the municipality's bankruptcy. "At the last minute, there was some creative financing, some new loans. People made some sacrifices to make that possible. Unions took a hit.
Cursed ancient exhibit hits Upper East Side
The banner outside the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at NYU doesn't pull any punches. It features a scary looking amulet head depicting a guy who was known as King of the Evil Wind Demons. "This is the demon Pazuzu, who is very famous for being the demon in The Exorcist," said Dr. Carl Walsh, Archaeologist and Curator at the Institute, referring to the classic horror film from 1973.
50 years of punk: Manic Panic founders spotlighted in new exhibit
Tish and Snooky Bellomo have a story on just about anyone from the punk rock scene of the late 1970s in New York City. “One time Joey Ramone said to a friend of ours, ‘You think you’re so cool because you hang out with those Manic Panic girls,’” Tish Bellomo said of the late Ramones singer. The two sisters from the Bronx opened the nation’s first punk rock boutique in 1977 on St. Mark’s Place in the East Village. It was named Manic Panic by their mother Estelle.
American chestnut returns to the Bronx Zoo
It was a busy morning at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo. Not only taking care of animals, but of the trees. Crews from the zoo and the New York Restoration Project planted 20 hybrid American chestnut trees along the banks of the Bronx River and other locations. It's the same place where more than 120 years ago a forester named Hermann Merkel documented the chestnut blight that would destroy 4 billion American chestnut trees.
Inside the sticky battle for New York City’s lampposts and trashcans
New York City is covered in all different types of graffiti, one of the most prolific being stickers. In neighborhoods like Bushwick and the Lower East Side, people can find stickers on almost every street sign, lamppost and fire hydrant. NY1’s Roger Clark wanted to investigate who the people that put these stickers up are, why they do so and who is responsible for cleaning them off?
Roy Lichtenstein exhibit opens at The Whitney
If you happened to be at the Leo Castelli Gallery on the Upper East Side in the winter of 1962, a "gallery inside a gallery" at the Whitney Museum of American Art may look familiar. It's a reconstruction of the Castelli Gallery and legendary artist Roy Lichtenstein's historic solo show there. The works on the walls have not been displayed together since the early 1980s.
Transit fans get chance to buy merch at MTA's annual pop-up shop
Bethpage, Long Island resident Joseph Ciambra was not messing around. He arrived on Avenue X in Gravesend, Brooklyn at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday to be first in line for New York City Transit’s Memorabilia and Collectibles Pop-Up Shop Thursday morning. "I would like to get a New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium sign," said Ciambra, who is originally from Marine Park, Brooklyn. "Last year I got a Times Square sign. This year I want to get that sign.
The return of Saint Vitus: Legendary Brooklyn metal club reopens in new space
What a way to open a new version of a classic music venue. Thrash metal legends Anthrax headlined a reopening night on Sept. 4 for Saint Vitus Bar, a beloved heavy metal music venue. Vitus, as fans know it, is back in business two and a half years since the last show at the the original location in Greenpoint.
New center focuses on New York activism
The video of Kristin Jacobs, a language instructor from the Delaware Nation in Ontario, makes it appear as if she is in the room with visitors to a gallery at the Museum of the City of New York. "I'm holding a Wampum Belt, and I'm here to tell you today about what a Wampum Belt is," said Jacobs before she starts speaking in the language of the Lenape.
A look back at the Bowery, NYC's oldest thoroughfare
It runs just over a mile from Chinatown to Greenwich Village. The Bowery is New York City's oldest thoroughfare, and has seen numerous changes just like the city itself. An exhibition at the New Museum in Manhattan looks back on more than 400 years of the Bowery's history. It's a street that has lived many lives, including being home to several dozen museums in the 19th century where a variety of oddities were on display.
100 years of NBC: Paley Museum salutes network on its centennial
It was nearly a century ago: Nov. 15, 1926. NBC began as a radio company, launching its very first broadcast. Television would not come around for the National Broadcasting Company for another 13 years.
Feast of San Gennaro returns for 100th year in Little Italy
The sizzling of sausage and peppers on the grill. The bubbling of zeppole deep-frying in a kettle. Those are just some of the sounds of the Feast of San Gennaro, only eclipsed by the smells and the tastes of a tradition which has taken over the streets of Little Italy in Manhattan for 100 years. Sisters Debbie Walsh and Chrissy Ippolito, who grew up in Queens, visit on opening day each year.
Where the buffalo roam: Art spectacle to march through city
There’s always something interesting to see in Times Square, but on a particular Tuesday morning, something is happening that’s a little more out of the ordinary. Two buffalo were on the run in a pedestrian plaza — not real buffalo, to be sure, rather life-size buffalo puppets. The stunt was a teaser for Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi — the Lakota phrase roughly means Trail of the Buffalo. For the events on Sept.
NYC dining guide shares favorite spots of city officials
Tamales are the heart and soul of the menu at Evelia’s Tamales in East Elmhurst, Queens. The business started when Evelia Coyotzi, who came to the United States from Mexico in 2000, lost her job at a McDonalds’s near the World Trade Center after Sept. 11, 2001. To make a living, she started selling tamales from a cart under the 7 train in Queens. In 2022, Coyotzi was able to open a shop on Northern Boulevard, not far from the cart location.
Queens artist gives obsolete media new life in 'The Accidental Archive'
A Queens-based artist is giving obsolete media a new life and, in one case, making a CD-ROM playable on a turntable. Artist sTo Len used a record cutter to carve grooves into a blank CD-ROM, creating a disc that can be played like a vinyl record. “This is to me very fun. Taking an obsolete technology and making it new but then making it sound really old at the same time,” said sTo Len, who has been an artist-in-residence at Materials for the Arts, or MFTA.
Church that served as refuge during 9/11 cleanup hosting free concert
Inside a historic church building, opened in 1846, visitors can hear the sounds of the Trinity Choir rehearsing. The choir, led by Director of Music Melissa Attebury, is preparing for a free concert on Sept. 11. Steven Hrycelak, a bass voice, joined the choir a year after the terrorist attacks, which took place just blocks away from the church. The congregation dates back more than 300 years.
New exhibition explores Peanuts' impact on fashion, design and sports
Just in time for New York Fashion Week and the US Open — step into a room full of Snoopy and Woodstock dolls, all dressed by famous designers and brands. Snoopy and Woodstock can be seen wearing Tommy Hilfiger, New York or Nowhere, Levi's, Adidas and more. The famous beagle and his feathered friend have been dressed by fashion icons for more than 40 years.
Waldorf Astoria transforms ballroom into tennis court
The Waldorf Astoria New York in Midtown transformed its legendary ballroom into a tennis center for one night on Aug. 27. Professional stars Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Leylah Fernandez and Maria Sakkari played matches in front of 400 onlookers. This was a first for the ballroom, which has hosted everything from the first Tony Awards to the earliest Met Gala. Along those lines, Met Gala Chair Anna Wintour was in attendance at the matches.
50 years of the Ukrainian Museum in New York City
It's the largest repository of Ukrainian cultural heritage outside of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Museum in the East Village is kicking off its 50th anniversary year with special programs, a gala and a number of free public events. There is also an exhibition spotlighting the museum's collection and another from a top Ukrainian contemporary artist. "Forest" is a multi-media installation by artist Zhanna Kadyrova. It tells the story of the June 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine.
Employee of the month
Not long ago I viewed a security video from a downtown Dallas alley. It showed a young man about 20 years old parking his car on a lightly traveled side street. Emerging from the ten-year-old vehicle, he carefully removed his cellphone, cigarettes and loose change, then stored it all behind the driver’s seat. From the same place, he retrieved a rock, then tightened his shoelaces.
Punk in the park: Hardcore shows look back and ahead
Ryan Bland is the lead singer for a New York hardcore band Ache, and on a summer Sunday in Tompins Square Park in the East Village, he is guest singing with all-star band My War. Bland sings two songs, including a version of the Misfits classic, Attitude. “I’ve dedicated my life to this community, and there’s a lot of young kids here today, so I think it’s important that the young kids and the older kids come together and we just pass this down to the youth,” Bland said of the day’s free show.
Long Island teen Jack Kennedy prepares for US Open main draw debut Original
At 18 years old, Jack Kennedy is preparing for a momentous occasion in his tennis career: his first appearance in the US Open main draw. Kennedy, who grew up in Huntington, Long Island, about 30 miles from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, received a wildcard entry after winning the USTA Boys National Championships in Michigan.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation brings community pharmacy to Hell’s Kitchen
A new community pharmacy in Hell’s Kitchen is preparing to open with a unique way of delivering prescriptions between its two floors. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation Pharmacy on West 50th Street will use a mechanical device to transport medication from the street-level pharmacy to patients and staff downstairs.
WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon set to sign off after nearly 50 years in broadcasting Original
For nearly three decades, classical music fans across New York have started their mornings with the voice of Jeff Spurgeon. Spurgeon, the longest-tenured host at New York Public Radio’s WQXR, is retiring at the end of the month after 40 years on New York-area airwaves and nearly 50 years in broadcasting. His radio career began as a teenager in his home state of Nebraska, after a chance encounter at church led to his first audition at a local radio station.
Send in the puppets: Puppet festival returns to the Lower East Side
It's a question for the ages: Can a chair be a puppet? "Anything can be a puppet, if it has moving parts, and if its intention is to express something," said Theodora Skipitares, the influential visual theater artist who has resided on the Lower East Side for decades. (Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark) The artist's work is featured in an exhibition at this year's International Puppet Fringe Festival at The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center in the neighborhood.
The sights and sounds of The Rooftop at Pier 17
It's all about the tunes and the views. The Rooftop at Pier 17 is now in its eighth season at South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan, welcoming an eclectic mix of acts to the outdoor concert venue. "It's an intimate venue, it's 3,500 person cap, usually a standing room, there's not a bad view," said Tyler Jones, senior vice president of operations at The Rooftop.
Dress for the occasion
I’m ready. When the occasion calls for it, I have the wardrobe. Whether it’s a church service, funeral, wedding or potluck supper — often the same thing — I’m prepared for the event. It’s called dressing appropriately and I don’t use big words like “dressing” lightly. Recently, I read a cruising blog that debated dress codes aboard the ships. Was it okay, they wondered, wearing a robe and pajamas to breakfast in the restaurant.
New fandom experience House of Spells coming to Times Square
For fans of sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes and anime, it would be hard not to find something you like at House of Spells. "We have Stranger Things, Lord of the Rings, and we just categorized Harry Potter into the different houses," explained Khaja Hussain, the CEO and founder of House of Spells. It's the first United States store for the company, which has three locations in the United Kingdom.
Willets Point welcomes new tenants in affordable housing; more units coming
It's quite the view from an apartment window at the Willets Point Commons. "You can see Etihad Park where NYCFC is going to open next summer, Citi Field, we are going to build a new building, hopefully to start that next year. We're going to build a hotel on the corner and so you can see Willets Point really shaping up here," said Frank Monterisi, the executive vice president at Related Companies.
Bears on the Canal: The Ursas come to Brooklyn
Inside the Bushwick studio of artist Jen Lewin, a giant bear sculpture is wrapped up and ready for delivery. It doesn't like much on its side, but that will change when Ursa Minor, which is 13-feet-tall, joins the 26-foot-tall Ursa Major on the waterfront of the Gowanus Canal on Aug. 1.
Queens soccer pitch is oldest continuously used soccer facility in U.S.
It’s an oasis for the beautiful game. The soccer pitch at Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens has been around for more than 100 years. With all of its history, there is also one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline in town.
Installation at Hispanic Society Museum celebrates historic artist
It's not neccessarily what a visitor would expect to find on the gates of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library's Audubon Terrace in Washington Heights. The plaza, which evokes the Renaissance in Spain, now features Tom Sanford's colorful wood cut-out paintings of neighborhood scenes.
Former Vatican chef’s SoHo eatery participating in NYC Restaurant Week
It’s food fit for a Pope. Chef Salvo Lo Castro, of Casasalvo on Spring Street in SoHo, spent 10 years at the Vatican and cooked for two popes. The food at his eatery is Sicilian-Mediterranean. What You Need To Know NYC Restaurant Week runs from July 20 to Aug.
40 years of SummerStage in photos
Joe Killian knows a thing or two about Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage. After all, the entertainment, media and marketing executive founded the beloved outdoor performing arts festival in 1986. It all started with a concert at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park by the Sun Ra Arkestra.
The Paley Museum celebrates FIFA World Cup 2026
The United States men’s national soccer team had a good run in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which the nation co-hosted with Canada and Mexico. Sadly, it ended in the knockout round against Belgium. That being said, there is plenty of history for the program dating back more than a century.
Rockaways beach exhibit features unique ping-pong tables from 6 artists
It may be the most unique-sounding ping-pong table ever. That's because it has musical instruments embedded in it. The usable sculpture was created by artists Las Hermanas Iglesias as a tribute to the cultural diversity of their home borough of Queens.
Artists having a ball: Giant soccer ball sculptures celebrate art and sports
How did a giant soccer ball end up in front of El Museo del Barrio on Fifth Avenue in East Harlem? It wasn't the result of an errant kick from a match at Central Park across the street. It's the work of artist Ronny Quevedo, who grew up in the Bronx and has a long connection to soccer. The piece explores the Earth's equator as a center that is movable and constantly being renegotiated.
Queens students help name trucks that keep art supplies out of landfills
"Reusey Lucy" is the name. It’s a fully electric truck used by Materials for the Arts, also known as MFTA, named by third graders at P.S. 17 in Astoria. In particular, it was Anna Suarez who proposed the idea.
New York Historical opens democracy-focused expansion
The newest addition to the Upper West Side's cultural landscape invites visitors to explore everything from American democracy and presidential history to an unexpected collection of shoes. The new Tang Wing for American Democracy has opened at The New York Historical, expanding the museum's exhibition, education and conservation spaces ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.
Forest Hills Stadium launches program to benefit Queens nonprofit
Forest Hills Stadium has made a lot of memories over the years. Once home to the U.S. Open for tennis, it has also been a music venue hosting everyone from The Beatles and Stones, to Sinatra and Streisand. The historic stadium in Queens is welcoming music fans back this summer, with an eclectic lineup of shows.
Popular performing arts festival returns to Prospect Park
When it started, Prospect Park wasn’t exactly the place New Yorkers wanted to hang out in at night to hear live music. It was 1979 when the founders of a new performing arts festival were hoping to bring the park back to life. BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! was born. What You Need To Know BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is back for a 47th season There are 15 free shows and 3 benefit performances The season runs through Sept.
Van Cortlandt Park Juneteenth celebration continues to grow
A Juneteenth celebration in the Bronx is returning for its sixth year with more music, more performers and more education on the origins of Van Cortlandt Park. The free event will take place Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is expected to draw hundreds of attendees to the park's historic Enslaved African Burial Ground and surrounding areas.
New panoramic view from David Dinkins Municipal Building open to public
The city’s commissioner for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, or DCAS, is a professed history nerd. So Yume Kitasei has a lot to say about opening a spot to the public that hasn’t been widely available for more than a century.
Knicks player stays connected to his Queens high school
It was quite a play. In Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, Knicks point guard Jose Alvarado took on 7’4" Victor Wembanyama and hit a pull-up jumper, not to mention he was fouled. ABC Play by Play announcer Mike Breen called Alvarado fearless.
SummerStage celebrates 40 years with more than 60 shows
SummerStage returns to Central Park's Rumsey Playfield and parks across the five boroughs this summer with more than 60 performances at 12 locations. Most of the shows are free, with some benefit concerts supporting the City Parks Foundation, which brings arts, education and recreation programs to parks throughout New York City.
Exhibit tells story of rescue, restoration of murals made for NYC hospital in 1930s
It’s a different kind of wonderland for Alice, from the beloved Lewis Carroll story. The rabbit hole leads to New York City in a mural series by artist Abram Champanier, that was once in the children’s ward at the city’s Gouverneur Hospital on the Lower East Side.
There's no debate: NYC Urban Debate League provides students with critical skills
It was a heated argument over whether the government should mandate organ donation at the NYC Reads Championship Tournament for middle schoolers at the CUNY School of Law in Long Island City. The New York City Urban Debate League is in its 14th year of providing access to debate for public and charter school kids in the five boroughs.
Music and art meld in 'Musical Bodies' exhibition at The Met
While humans can whistle and clap and tap, musical instruments, on the other hand, also kind of look like us. That's what "Musical Bodies," which opens June 7 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is all about.
The real reason this NYC icon has disappeared
New York City has been drinking coffee from the same iconic Greek “Anthora” cup since the 1960s, when Leslie Buck designed it and began selling it to Greek diner owners across the city. Buck’s original design, which once dominated the coffee cup market of NYC, is now a rare find.
Picnic Performances return to Bryant Park
There's a wide variety of music to be found at Bryant Park's Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America. From jazz and Broadway show tunes to opera and more, the free outdoor performing arts festival takes place on a stage overlooking the lawn in the middle of Manhattan at Bryant Park. The series will feature 24 performances spanning music, dance and more.
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