Photo projects like “Humans of New York” tell some amazing stories that are often forgotten in the chaos of the city. While “Humans” is truly monumental, many other projects exist that fall into the category of “epic New York City art projects that can’t help but touch our jaded little hearts,” as coined by New York Magazine‘s Joe Coscarelli. Giving new meaning to the aphorism, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” here are four other photography endeavors that aim to uncover wondrous parts of NYC’s “Untapped” history.

1. Every Bodega in Manhattan

If you live in Manhattan, you’re bound to walk by at least one bodega each day. According to photographer Gail Quagliata, there should be approximately 4,000 of these convenience stores, and she has set out to photograph them all. Quagliata claims that each bodega is a “microcosm of New York,” as each store sells many of the same items while still maintaining a distinct personality that caters specifically to its extremely localized clientele. As of August, 2013, Quagliata has scoured pretty much every street in Manhattan, with only the two Harlem neighborhoods to go. Read more about her motivations, the difficult task of differentiating between bodegas and grocers, and her dread of the imminent spread of 7-11’s on Vanishing New York.