A lot has already been written about the six-story giant rubber duck that Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman is bringing around the world, most recently to Hong Kong harbor, but we wanted to share this reader-submitted photo by Aby Sam Varghese in Hong Kong, a less-common nighttime photo. Artist Hofman says the duck is for all, “We’re one family and all the waters in the world is our global bathtub.”
Submit photos to our photo pool by hashtagging #untappedcities in your Instagram or Twitter photos.
Vintage subway trains on the S line this weekend
So much was happening around the Grand Central Parade of Trains yesterday. Families reveled in “Kid Junction” at Vanderbilt Hall, historic railcars were on display on the tracks in Grand Central, 1950s and 60s vintage trains were running along the S train, and Untapped Cities had its “Secrets of Grand Central” tour which concluded with cocktails at The Campbell Apartment.
One of our most popular Google keyword searches is “Napoleon” which inevitably leads readers to discover that Napoleon’s penis is actually stored in New Jersey. This article, written by Untapped Cities contributor Kate Kelly, goes into how Napoleon’s member came to its unlikely home. There’s even a video with the collector!
Each week we’ll be featuring the zaniest Google Keywords that readers to Untapped Cities, stay tuned!
The Little Free Library in Nolita
Today’s Daily What?! is the Little Free Library in Nolita on Prince Street between Mott and Mulberry Streets. 10 such lending libraries, all of different designs were launched over IDEAS City weekend in New York May 4th. The Little Free Libraries are the product of a design competition launched by the Architectural League of New York and PEN World Voices Festival. And it’s not just in New York City, here’s a Google map of their locations all of over the US.
In our new weekly column, we’ll be highlighting one of our 250+ Untapped Cities contributors worldwide. First up, managing editor Laura Itzkowitz.
So Laura, besides Untapped Cities, what are you up to?
I’m currently completing my MFA in creative writing and translation at Columbia. I work at the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies, and I’m assisting a writer who’s working on a book about Napoleon‘s plundering of Italian art.
Favorite piece you’ve written for Untapped:
The Players Club: An Exclusive Look Inside Gramercy’s Members-Only Theater Club. It’s full of rich New York City history. I’m very sad to hear that it might get shut down.
We literally chased this bus down in Midtown yesterday. It’s The New York Post Tour, with information “ripped from the headlines,” it claims. In the press, the $49 tour has been completely trashed (except by Fox News, who says it’s “One of the best ways to discover New York City on a tour bus.”) The Daily News, Gothamist and The Observer were less impressed:
