'Eyewitness News' reporter Lauren Glassberg leaving WABC after 26 years

Lauren Glassberg, one of New York's most prominent TV reporters, has left WABC/7, where she worked since 2000, the station confirmed Monday. Her last day was July 15.

Glassberg said in a brief phone interview Monday, "I've been doing this for more than a quarter-century and, while rewarding, I felt like I had maybe another career in me. I'm looking forward to pursuing something different but tangential to journalism." She said the new role will not be TV-related.

In a statement announcing her departure, the station's news chief, John Antonio, said she "has made the decision to leave WABC-TV and chart a new path," adding that Glassberg, 56, "leaves an indelible mark here — having reported on thousands of stories and co-anchored countless shows."

Indeed, in terms of sheer volume and variety — both as one of the station's most prominent anchors and reporters — Glassberg, who grew up on Roosevelt Island, did seem to have set a new benchmark at Ch. 7. In addition to her work behind the anchor desk and in the field, for 15 years she hosted the station's popular Friday foodie feature, "Neighborhood Eats."

On Sept. 11, 2001, she was one of the first reporters to arrive on the scene and broadcast live from the World Trade Center. (Glassberg had been living downtown at the time, and after the first plane hit, she borrowed a bicycle from a messenger to get to the Twin Towers.) She later reported extensively on the aftermath and cleanup at Ground Zero.

After joining the TV station in early 2000 — following stops at stations in Akron, Ohio; Little Rock, Arkansas; Minneapolis; and, briefly, at WNYW/5 — she began as a "generalist," she recalled, "but I pivoted post-9/11 into features because I wanted to cover news that was uplifting. I moved into features and did that for more than a decade. But I would say that this last third of my career I've returned to more hard news, especially political reporting." Because Glassberg was one of the station's breaking-news specialists, most Ch. 7 newscasts in recent years typically featured a piece reported by her.

Glassberg said she didn't post anything about her departure — first reported on the website FTV Live — because she infrequently uses social media, but says she was gratified by the response from viewers.  Another Ch. 7 veteran, Stacey Sager, posted on Instagram, "We have marked so many milestones together, and I have no doubt these milestones are far from over." Sports anchor Ryan Field wrote, "Forever the consummate professional, Lauren covered anything and everything with a wit and personal touch that made her one of the best reporters in town."

Glassberg said, "I'm taking a breather and enjoying a moment of downtime before I launch — how should I refer to it? — my next role."