Vintage 1970s Photos Show Lost Sites of NYC's Lower East Side
A quest to find his grandmother's birthplace led Richard Marc Sakols on a mission to capture his changing neighborhood on film.
From outdoor movies to insider tours, May is full of exciting activities that are coming up this week! Whether you’re an history buff or a fanatic explorer, there’s something in store for everyone:
Outdoor movie season is in session! Free screenings will be shown in New York City parks throughout the summer! See the full lineup here.
Missed the debut of The Queens International Night Market? Pay a visit to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and nosh on eats from around the world.
If you’re in a desperate need of a boozy Saturday, you’re in luck: The Total Crown Heights Immersion kicks off this weekend on May 19th from 12pm to 6pm! Presented by Brooklyn Based and Brooklyn Brewery, this daylong food, beer and shopping crawl is the perfect way to explore the neighborhood. We have 10 FREE tickets for Untapped Cities Insiders!
On our tour of the Remnants of Penn Station, we’ll take you back inside this central transportation hub to discuss the past, present and future plans for the structure. Although Amtrak only acknowledges one remnant remaining, tour participants will learn about station history and discover remnants of the McKim, Mead & White building located in plain sight.
Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station
The abandoned Ellis Island Hospital complex — once the standard for United States medical care (and later transformed to the FBI headquarters when the island served as a detention center) — has been left to decay for nearly 60 years. Now, Untapped Cities is bringing you behind-the-scenes for a unique exploration of the abandoned facility; on this experience, you’ll visit its contagious disease wards, the autopsy rooms and have exclusive access to places usually closed to the public.
Behind-the-Scenes Hard Hat Tour of the Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital
We also have a few tickets left for our Underground Tour of the NYC Subway. Take a ride through the living history of the world’s largest rapid transit system (in area) by weaving in and out of the past and present transit hubs of lower Manhattan. This unique tour is designed to give a comprehensive history of the New York City Subway system, from its groundbreaking in 1901 up through the creation of the three different proprietary lines which were unified into the system we know today. See the architectural ghosts of the now nearly forgotten Chambers Street station and use the 6 train as your own time machine to ride through abandoned subway stations.
Underground Tour of the NYC Subway
Beyond the Brooklyn Bridge‘s stately exterior lies an epic origin story. Now over 130 years old, the granite and limestone structure has dazzled both tourists and residents alike. On this unique walking tour, unpack the history behind the Brooklyn Bridge, explore its many hidden secrets, and get a whole new appreciation for one of New York’s most iconic landmarks.
The Secrets of Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour
Design lovers should not miss out on this year’s NYCxDesign Awards, presented by Interior Design magazine and ICFF. Now in its third year, the event celebrates outstanding achievement across fields of design, including architecture to product design. It all takes place at Pier 17 (89 South Street) from 6 to 10pm.
Photographer Jonathan Higbee (who joined us for our tour of the abandoned hospital complex at Ellis Island) will be an artist guest speaker at the Queens Council of the Arts! Join the event, presented by Back to the Lab, from 7pm to 8:30pm.
For five days during Lower East Side History Month, The Living Gallery Outpost (246 East 4th Street) will host a series of events in honor of the neighborhood. On Wednesday, join the talk ENTHRALL & SQUALOR: Photographing Downtown 1977-1987, which will present the photographs of four “New York originals.”
Explore highlights and secret treasures from the New York Academy of Medicine’s collections of women’s medicine and midwifery during an intimate after-hours session inside its Rare Book Room.
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