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Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. All right, it's membership drive geography quiz time. Do you know what's where in New York City and vicinity? Call us up. If you get three news quiz answers, or I should say geography quiz answers in a row right, we will send you that new Brian Lehrer Show baseball hat. Who wants to play? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. That's not the donation line I was giving out before. We're never going to ask you money on the air.

This is our on-air line and it's membership drive geography quiz time. Do you know what's where in New York City and vicinity? Do you know how to get around, around here? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. While your calls are coming in, let me reset the context for this. We are in our annual spring membership drive, and during this 11:00 AM hour of the show, every day, during the drive, we're having a Brian Lehrer Show fundraising party. Think of it like the bake sale at your school.

We don't actually have the PTA meeting at the bake sale, right? We have cake, cookies, and games, and that's the model for our 11:00 AM to noon spring fundraising party after our more serious fair, like we did with our climate story of the week, and with the US Surgeon General in the 10 o'clock hour. Hope you enjoy this 11:00 AM to noon fundraising party. Today's edition. Of course, we hope that you'll pitch in. What happens at these fundraising parties?

If you haven't been listening, we're doing three segments each day, in the 11:00 AM to noon fundraising party hour. Segment one-- It's a low-stakes pop quiz. We don't give grades, we do give prizes. That's what we're starting right now, for today, with this low-stakes pop quiz on New York area geography. If you want to try for three in a row, and that Brian Lehrer Show Baseball cap, 212-433-WNYC. Segment two, little later in the hour, we're bringing back our most fun or interesting call-ins of 2023, for a second round of participation.

Today, it's going to be-- Thank a stranger who once helped you with anything. Maybe that stranger will hear it. That's coming up later in the hour, and we're ending each of these hours with things to do around here this summer. We'll have our latest things to do around here this summer guide, coming up at the end of the hour. It's a low-stakes pop quiz, grades, no, prizes, yes. Our most fun or interesting call-ins of 2023, round two, and things to do in the New York area this summer.

Here we go, with today's low-stakes pop quiz, New York City and Vicinity Geography. Do you know what's where around here? Do you know how to get around, around here? Here's Jay in Queens, on line one, who called in right away. Hi, Jay. You're on WNYC.

Jay: Hi, good morning.

Brian Lehrer: This New York City neighborhood, Jay, came to be known as Little Odessa toward the end of the 20th century, because of the arrival of so many immigrants from the Soviet Union. What neighborhood of New York City? I'll give you one clue, since you're calling from Queens--

Jay: No, no, no clue. No clue. I think it's Brighton Beach.

Brian Lehrer: It certainly is Brighton Beach. My clue was going to be it's not in Queens, but you didn't need it. Number two, name that subway line. It's the Brooklyn/Queens Crosstown local, and it runs from Court Square through neighborhoods including Green Point and Fort Green to Church Avenue. It's the only subway line, other than some local shuttles, that never touches Manhattan. What is it?

Jay: That's the G train.

Brian Lehrer: That absolutely is the G train, between Brooklyn and Queens. Never touching Manhattan. One more for that baseball hat. True or false? New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country. True or false?

Jay: I believe that's true, but that's not really a New York question.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, well, I say around here, I say New York City and vicinity is this geography quiz.

Jay: Okay, fair enough. I think that's true.

Brian Lehrer: That is true. You have won yourself a Brian Lehrer Show Baseball hat, and with a lot of confidence. Did you hear the confidence in Jay's voice throughout those answers? Yes. New Jersey is the most densely populated state, that's assuming you don't count Washington DC, which is not a state, and is a little more densely populated than New Jersey. Nevertheless, New Jersey, the most densely populated state.

Eric, in Harlem. You're on WNYC. Ready to play, as we take Jay's address so we can send him a baseball hat? Hi, Eric.

Eric: Sure, [unintelligible 00:05:00].

Brian Lehrer: All right. The MTA says one of our local subway lines is the longest subway line in the world. Do you know which subway line that is?

Eric: The A?

Brian Lehrer: It is the A train ,runs through your neighborhood, runs up north of you, to my neighborhood. It goes from Rockaways to upper Manhattan, and the MT-- Oh, bonus question. Right. Bonus question. Within three miles-- Bonus question means if you get it right, it'll count as your second right answer, if you don't get it right, no penalty. Within three miles, how long is the A train route between the Rockaways and [unintelligible 00:05:43]?

Eric: 20.

Brian Lehrer: That is wrong, but it's a bonus question, so you get to keep going anyway. It's 31 miles according to the MTA. All right. Each of the five boroughs of New York City is also a county of New York State. Three of them have different borough names than their county names. If you can name all three, you'll win the baseball hat instantly. If you can name only one, you still get to go on. Do you understand the question?

Eric: I think so. I name which--?

Brian Lehrer: Yes, name any or all of the three boroughs of New York, whose county names are different.

Eric: Yes. Brooklyn is Kings.

Brian Lehrer: That is correct. Go ahead.

Eric: Staten Island is Richmond.

Brian Lehrer: That is correct.

Eric: Manhattan is New York.

Brian Lehrer: Manhattan is New York County. Ta-da. Eric, you aced it. You have won yourself a Brian Lehrer Show Baseball cap. Hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. Now, we go to a Jersey caller, Thomas, in Summit, you're on WNYC. Hi, Thomas. Ready to play?

Thomas: Hello, Brian. First-time caller. Yes. Hi.

Brian Lehrer: Glad that you're on. Luck of the draw. You get a Jersey-related question up first here. Bruce Springsteen's debut studio album featured the name of a small seaside city on the New Jersey coast, known for its sandy shore and beachfront boardwalk. Can you name the city?

Thomas: I'd have to send you greetings from Asbury Park to do that.

Brian Lehrer: That was the name of the album. Greetings from Asbury Park. What's the town in New Jersey where the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike intersect?

Thomas: Is it Mahwah?

Brian Lehrer: Oh, sorry, Thomas. It is not Mahwah. It's Woodbridge. Woodbridge Township has that big interchange, but thanks for giving it a shot. Utangeli in Valley Stream, as we go to Rockland County for our next contestant. Hi, Utangeli, you're on WNYC, ready to play?

Utangeli: Yes, sir. Good morning. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: Oh, Valley Stream. Oh, I was thinking Spring Valley. It's Valley Stream. That, of course-

Utangeli: No. Valley Stream.

Brian Lehrer: -is Nassau County. I know Valley Stream.

Utangeli: That's right.

Brian Lehrer: Right over the Queens' border, there in the southern part of those two counties. The Statue of Liberty stands in this specific body of water, at the mouth of the Hudson River. Can you name the body of water? Where the Statue of Liberty is?

Utangeli: I know it's by Hellsgate. It's not [inaudible 00:08:42], is it? No.

Brian Lehrer: Your phone blipped out right as you were saying it. It's not what? What was your guess?

Utangeli: I said it's by Hellsgate. Is that by the Gowanus?

Brian Lehrer: It's not. Sorry, Utangeli, thanks for playing. The answer-- I thought this might have been the easiest question in the quiz today. New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor. Let's see. The next question is a Long Island question. Since she was from Valley Stream, I was hoping she would get it, but we're going to go next to Zach, in Crown Heights. Zach, you're on WNYC, you ready to play?

Zach: Brian, Long Island? Yes, I'm ready.

Brian Lehrer: Yes. Long Island, true or false, at least it's a true or false question, you have a 50% chance of getting it right, right out of the gate. Hempstead, on Long Island, has a larger population than Seattle. True or false?

Zach: Oh, I want to say false, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: It is true. Zach, thanks for trying. Yes. Believe it or not, Hempstead, the largest town in Nassau County, has a population, according to the latest census, of just over 787,000 people. Seattle's population is around 749,000, a little bit smaller. Like with a lot of metro areas, the whole Seattle metro area is bigger, but City of Seattle is 787,000. The whole population of the New York City metro area, I'm doing this one from memory, but I think it's close to 20 million.

The eight million plus in the city itself, but the metro area is, of course, so much bigger. All right. How about Eli, in Kensington, in Brooklyn? You're on WNYC. Eli, ready to play?

Eli: I'm ready. First time in a long time.

Brian: Glad you're on. All right. What neighborhood is home to the Queens Center Mall? You're calling from Brooklyn, but you get a Queens question here.

Eli: Man. Queens Center Mall. I'm going to guess Flushing.

Brian: It is not Flushing. Nice try. It's Elmhurst. Nora, in Bloomfield, you're on WNYC. Hi, Nora.

Nora: Hey.

Brian: All right.

Nora: Hi.

Brian: Since you're in Jersey, I'm going to skip over to a Jersey question from the one I had next up. A line of steep cliffs stretches from Jersey City, about 20 miles north, to near Nyack. Can you tell us the name of this lovely natural landmark?

Nora: That would be the Palisades.

Brian: That would be the Palisades. Name the infamous, decrepit structure situated within the section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the BQE, that stretches from Atlantic Avenue to Sand Street in Brooklyn Heights. Can you name that decrepit part of the BQE, that's been in the news a lot lately?

Nora: No hints, huh?

Brian: Hints. Well, it's also-- Let's see. When I worked as a stock boy in a furniture store, I learned that it's also the name of a type of shelf.

Nora: I'm trying to think of shelf names, but no, I'm sorry. I don't have it. Oh, well. [crosstalk]

Brian: Sorry, Nora. It's the cantilever, or in the case of the BQE, the triple cantilever. All right, we're going to keep going until we give away one more hat, with the new rule of-- You only have to get one question right to win it. Mark in White Plains is up next. Mark, you're on WNYC, ready to play? All right. Sorry to say, we don't have Mark up, and we don't have anybody else lined up right now, so guess what?

That is our Brian Lehrer Show low-stakes pop quiz, grades, no, prizes, yes, for today. That was our low-stakes geography quiz. Gave away a bunch of baseball hats. Everybody, thanks for taking your shots. Brian Lehrer, on WNYC. Much more to come.

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