This year has been a very exciting one for Untapped New York! In 2022, we launched five brand new walking tours: Secrets of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a former museum guard, Brooklyn Underground Subway Tour, Secrets of Rockefeller Center, Secrets of the Lower East Side Tour and Tasting, and Fifth Ave Gilded Age Mansions. Untapped New York Insiders got to explore a Gilded Age mansion at 1014 Fifth Avenue, climb up the Highbridge Water Tower, go inside the abandoned Glenwood Power Plant in Yonkers, and tour the Palace Theater among many other experiences. In virtual talks, Insiders got to see in-depth interviews with the late architect Richard Roth, Jr., revisited the lost department stores of NYC with Chief Experience officer Justin Rivers, and heard from countless authors on interesting topics such as the history of Riverside Park and legendary jazz clubs. Finally, you read a lot! Untapped New York readers soaked up stories about New York City’s abandoned places, guides to various neighborhoods, and secrets of famous landmarks. We are excited to continue exploring with you in 2023! Here, we look back at our top stories of 2022, counting down to the most popular:
10. Filming Locations for The Gilded Age on HBO
Wondering about the filming locations for The Gilded Age, the new HBO Original Drama series? We’ve got you covered. The Gilded Age is a sumptuous period drama set predominantly in New York City, with filming locations all over the east coast.Â
The Gilded Age was created, produced and written by Julian Fellowes, who created the smash British hit Downton Abbey, so you’ll recognize some similarities — the drama between “upstairs and downstairs” and plucky outsiders breaking into societies unwilling to change. Read the full article here.
9. 18 Defunct Colleges and Universities in the NYC Area
When people think of New York City colleges, chances are Columbia University or New York University are among the first educational spaces to come to mind. New York City has dozens of colleges and universities across the five boroughs, but many of these institutions for higher learning can attribute their success to the models and innovations of now-defunct colleges and universities.
Some closed just a few years ago, while others shuttered a century ago or longer, though all played a role in shaping the culture of neighborhoods and the opportunities for young New Yorkers. Here is Untapped New York’s guide to the lost colleges and universities (and art schools) of New York City, from Finch College to the National Shakespeare Conservatory. Read the full article here.
8. The Oldest Bars and Restaurants in Brooklyn
A city of its own until 1898, Brooklyn is home to many of the city’s oldest institutions. Restaurants and bars are no exception, with the oldest dating back to 1887. Given the history of immigration, there’s not surprisingly a concentration in Italian joints and bars connected with German beer.
An honorable mention goes to P.J. Hanley Tavern in Carroll Gardens, which was until a few years ago, Brooklyn’s oldest bar dating to 1874. Here are the oldest bars and restaurants in Brooklyn. Read the full article here.
7. Filming Locations for Inventing Anna on Netflix
The new Netflix series, Inventing Anna, tells the true story of Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, the fake heiress who swindled the New York society scene and took the city by storm following the publication of a New York Magazine exposé. Set primarily in New York City, the filming locations for Inventing Anna mix spots in New York and Los Angeles.
New Yorkers love almost nothing more than a great grifter story (recall the “Hipster Grifter” of the early aughts) and it turns out, national audiences do too, with the series hitting #1 on the streaming platform over the weekend. The show tells Anna’s story in conjunction with that of a reporter, modeled after the real-life reporter Jessica Pressler, who is trying to get her story. Read the full article here.
6. Peek Inside a Gilded Ag Mansion at 1014 Fifth Avenue
As fans of Julian Fellowes’ new HBO series The Gilded Age know, the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s was a time of unprecedented change in America — and especially in New York City. Industrialists like Henry Clay Frick and Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt hired the best architects of the era to construct mansions, each meant to one-up the others. It was at the end of the Gilded Age, in 1906-07, that 1014 Fifth Avenue was built by Alexander M. Welch, a designer of other Fifth Avenue mansions on Museum Mile.
Once a twin, 1014 is the last of its kind standing proudly across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With a storied past as the former home of an ambassador and the Goethe House, 1014 is poised for a bright future as it transforms into a unique hub of architecture, culture, and community. Read the full article here.
5. 10 Lost Department Stores in NYC
From Gimbels at Herald Square to Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue, many now lost department stores once stood at the epicenter of New York City’s shopping culture. Today, what remains of these stores stand as repositories of a bygone era when shopping never took place through a virtual screen.
New York City department stores served as more than just symbols of consumerism, forming part of the city’s ethos of aspiration, invention, and reinvention. In the walls of the city’s lost department stores lies the history of generations of New Yorkers — memories that unless acknowledged stand the chance of being forgotten. Read the full article here.
4. 10 Oldest Restaurants in Manhattan
Looking to experience the culinary side of Manhattan’s history? Look no further than these 10 classic restaurants cherished by local New Yorkers, all of which were founded before the turn of the 20th century. From the first fine dining restaurant to a famous Jewish deli, these spots offer delicious menus served with a journey into the past.
So take a tour of the dishes that made the city’s food scene internationally known, and treat yourself to the delectable dishes of Manhattan’s 0ldest restaurants. Read the full article here.
3. Filming Locations for the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Amazon Prime original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is back for its fourth season! The show began in New York City in 1958, and is part Mad Men-esque in its mid-century setting, part La La Land in its theatricality – minus the singing, though it often feels—like song and dance might break out any minute.
These elements combined may seem cringeworthy, even to us period drama obsessed folks here, but the superb acting and comedic timing of the cast, led by Rachel Brosnahan of House of Cards, Tony Shalhoub of Monk fame, and Luke Kirby of Rectify, along with the spunky writing of Amy Sherman-Palladino, make this show a sleeper hit. In fact, it was one of Amazon’s most highly-reviewed pilot episodes (with a customer rating of 4.9), when it premiered in March 2017. Read the full article here and see our photos from the set of next season here!
2. 10 Mysterious Windowless Buildings in NYC
Walking the streets of New York City, passersby might notice that most of the buildings they pass are meant to be inviting: storefronts draw customers in, brownstone stoops welcome neighbors inside, and office building windows allow onlookers to observe thousands hard at work. But mixed into the densely built ecosystem of New York City are buildings that seem out of place.Â
These “monoliths,” with towering concrete and stone walls that have few or no windows are uninviting and almost standoffish. The blank walls of these windowless buildings, though, hide incredible secrets as the diverse and sometimes surprising functions of these buildings often motivate their impenetrable appearance. Uncover the secrets that hide within these ten mysterious and monolithic windowless buildings in New York City. Read the full article here.
1. Top 10 Secrets of the Holland Tunnel
Seven years before construction of the Holland Tunnel commenced in 1920, the New York State Bridge and Tunnel Commission and the New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission decided that constructing a tunnel was their only option to connect New Jersey to New York City. Building a bridge would not be possible feasible because New York’s elevation did not meet the 200-foot bridge height clearance for ships to use it.Â
Using a twin-tube design created by Clifford Holland, the dual coalition named him the chief engineer of the tunnel. From here, he became the tunnel’s namesake. Today, commuters and weekend travelers are perhaps all too familiar with the Holland Tunnel. Yet they may not know its secrets. Here are the top 10 secrets of the Holland Tunnel! Read the full article here.
Next, check out The Best Ways to Ring in 2023 in NYC
