FOX 5 reporter visits Coney Island on her new lifestyle show

August 3, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Simone Boyce plans to show a whole new side of New York on her new FOX 5 show, “Simone in the City.” Photo Courtesy of FOX 5

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Simone Boyce, an entertainment reporter for WNYW/FOX 5, launched her new lifestyle program, “Simone in the City” on Saturday morning by paying a visit to Coney Island.

But Boyce didn’t come to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone. The experienced reporter, whose new show is dedicated to uncovering the hidden gems of New York, bypassed the usual tourist attractions and instead paid a visit to the Coney Art Walls, where she spent time with Bay Ridge artist Kaves, whose real name is Michael McLeer.

The Coney Art Walls is an outdoor art project located in the middle of the Coney Island amusement area that features murals created by street artists.

In a segment on her 30-minute program, Boyce interviewed Kaves over a meal at Smorgasburg, a popular food court and market with vendors who come from all over Brooklyn.

“I really enjoyed meeting him. He’s so cool and he has a real feel for Brooklyn. He really captured the flavor of Coney Island,” Boyce told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday.

New Yorkers are starting to discover how cool Coney Island is, according to Boyce, who said her goal for “Simone in the City” is to show viewers parts of the city and state they might have overlooked in the past and to open up possibilities for them to explore.

“Simone in the City,” which will air on FOX 5 every Saturday at 10 a.m., is also slated to have Brooklyn touches in future episodes.

For example, in Episode 2, set to air on Aug. 8, Boyce goes canoeing in the heavily polluted Gowanus Canal.

“I got the idea for it by Googling ‘Weird things to do it Brooklyn.’ I got into a canoe with a guide and my cameraman and off we went. We didn’t get a drop of water on us!” she told the Eagle.

The canoeing trip wasn’t a publicity stunt. In the episode, Boyce will also educate the viewers on the history of the Gowanus Canal and will highlight efforts by civic groups to clean up and restore the waterway. “The canal used to be brimming with sea life,” she said.

Boyce, who calls “Simone in the City” her “love letter to New York,” said she is looking forward to coming back to Brooklyn. “There’s so much to explore in Brooklyn,” she said. “I would love to do an entire episode there.”

The first episode also featured Boyce jet-skiing in the Rockaways and attending a party at the Hamptons home of FOX 5 colleague Rosanna Scotto, where there were a lot of laughs but also some serious talk about issues and challenges that women face in the workplace.

In future episodes, Boyce tries her hand at stand-up comedy with some coaching help from Michelle Buteau (co-host of VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz”), fishes off the coast of Long Beach and visits some of New York City’s best restaurants.

“Simone is unique, likeable and always up for a challenge. I think viewers will enjoy her New York exploits while she discovers exciting things to do in this great state,” Lew Leone, vice president and general manager of FOX 5, said in a statement.

Boyce joined Fox 5 in 2014. She covers film, television, arts and culture and New York nightlife for the station. Prior to joining FOX 5, she was a film correspondent for EPIX and the host of GameStopTV. Boyce is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. She grew up in Miami and is a graduate of University of Florida.

For more information on “Simone in the City,” visit http://www.myfoxny.com/