Congratulations are in order for the winners of Untapped New York’s Best of New York Awards 2020! An all-star team of urban experts selected this year’s nominees. Then winners were chosen by you, the readers. We received hundreds of votes, letting us know what New York City projects you loved most. Many of the races were very close, and each of the nominees deserves a round of applause for accomplishing something great during 2020! See which projects took the top prize in each category and learn more about the winners below:
Best New TV Show Set in New York: The Undoing (HBO)
Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman in The Undoing. Photo courtesy HBO
Many people used television as an escape in 2020, and there were plenty of New York City set shows to entertain us. The Undoing is a thrilling HBO Max drama starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. The show was shot on location and used many real-life New York sites, from stately Upper East Side apartments and the Frick Collection museum to an art studio in Harlem and the Wurt’s Street Bridge for the show’s dramatic climax.
Best New Park: Hudson River Park Pier 26 (Manhattan)
Parks were so important in 2020, as New Yorkers ventured outside during lockdown for much-needed space and fresh air. Pier 26 in Hudson River Park used to be a concrete slab but now it is a destination for waterfront leisure and ecological activity. Features of the new pier include a 15,000-square-foot “Tide Deck” filled with indigenous plants, a habitat walk atop cantilevered walkways that will take you through five ecological zones, a sunning lawn, a sports court for kids, and lounge areas to enjoy the incredible views.
Best New Public Building: LaGuardia Airport Terminal B
Despite the pandemic, many exciting public building projects made progress and were even completed in 2020. One such project was LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B Arrivals and Departure Hall, one piece of the airport’s ongoing $8 billion transformation. Spanning across 850,000 square feet, the updated space features new local concessions, large, modern restrooms, and a New York-inspired shopping district along with permanent public art installations by artists Jeppe Hein, Sabine Hornig, Laura Owens, and Sarah Sze, curated by the Public Art Fund.
Best New Permanent Art Sculpture or Installation: Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument
The Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument on Literary Walk in Central Park features sculptures of women’s rights activists and New Yorkers, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The installation of the monument in 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote.
Best New Urban Planning Initiative: Open Streets/Open Restaurants
Enzo’s of Arthur Avenue / Courtesy of Belmont Business Improvement District (BID).
The pandemic has forced many businesses to adapt to unprecedented challenges. We’ve seen a shocking amount of favorite local dining spots close this year, but we’ve also seen local businesses overcome COVID-19 obstacles. The Open Streets/Open Restaurants initiative helped bring life back to New York City’s streets after lockdown, allowing restaurants to offer outdoor dining on streets closed off to vehicle traffic.
Best New Book About NYC: SUBWAY: The Histories and Secrets of the New York City Transit System by John Morris
Author John Morris’s visual history of the New York City subway system takes readers on a journey through the surprising history of the world’s largest transit system. Through hundreds of photographs and intriguing facts, Morris traces the evolution of the subway from its opening in 1904 to the present day.
Best New Attraction: Edge at Hudson Yards
The highly anticipated opening of Edge at Hudson Yards happened just before New York City’s lockdown began! Luckily, the attraction was able to reopen this summer, allowing visitors to experience the foot-tingling thrill of standing 1,131 feet above Manhattan on the largest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere!
Best Restoration: Gage & Tollner Restaurant (Brooklyn)
Image Courtesy fo Gage and Tollner
The restoration of Gage and Tollner brought back the original splendor of the 1875 building’s landmarked interior. Located on Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn, Gage and Tollner is one of the city’s oldest restaurants. For this revival, the restaurant team brought in new design elements and restored iconic features like the brass chandeliers, surviving embossed Lincrusta-Walton wall panels, wooden revolving doors, an original bar, and rows of arched mirrors with cherry wood trim.
Winners of our Secret Brooklyn book giveaway will be contacted via email to receive their prize!
Next, learn more about some of the runners-up, including the Endale Arch in Prospect Park, Waterline Square Park, The Alienist on TNT, Fire Rescue Company 2’s Firehouse, Unity by Hank Williams, and The Greens at Pier 17.
