When Diego Rivera refused to remove Lenin from his mural, Nelson Rockefeller had it destroyed rather than let it stand. We look at the story behind Rockefeller Center's most controversial commission, and why its destruction sparked a debate about art and censorship that's still relevant today.

Before Central Park existed, a thriving African-American community called Seneca Village stood in its place, and its residents were forced out to build the park. We look at Central Park's design, its most iconic landmarks, and the history beneath its surface.

New Year's resolutions actually trace back to ancient Babylon, thousands of years before gym memberships were ever a thing. We look at where the tradition comes from and practical ways to actually stick to your goals this year, including how to set them for language learning specifically.

The Times Square ball weighs almost 12,000 pounds, and the people packed in to watch it drop have often been standing there for 9 or 10 hours with no restrooms in sight. We trace the history of the ball drop from 1907 to today, and what it's actually like to be in the crowd.

"Burn bridges," "bite the bullet," "pull the trigger": if the words don't fit the conversation, it's probably an idiom. We cover eight common English idioms, what they actually mean, and where some of these surprisingly violent-sounding phrases come from.

John Roebling died in a construction accident before the Brooklyn Bridge was even finished, leaving his son to complete his father's vision. We look at the engineering behind one of New York's most iconic landmarks, and the human cost that went into building it.

The Statue of Liberty was originally designed as an Egyptian peasant woman meant for the Suez Canal, not New York Harbor. We trace how the design changed hands between France and the US, and the ongoing debate over what the statue's message actually means today.

A single ticket to the Met Gala can cost over $50,000, and the event has raised more than $200 million for the museum. We tour New York's Museum Mile, from ancient artifacts at the Met to the spiral architecture that makes the Guggenheim one of a kind.

Curious about the story behind Thanksgiving? I explain the holiday's history and traditions, take a closer look at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and cover the very different day that follows it: Black Friday.

Short, clear episodes on history, culture, art, and language, built for B1/B2 English learners. This is where English, please began: what the show is, who it's for, and why it's completely free.