Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge while learning about the allegedly used family of engineers who built it, climb man-made hills on Governors Island, find a surprising 1920s item crafted by the silversmiths of Cartier on display in the lobby of a building at Rockefeller Center, an explore more of NYC with Untapped New York this week! You can see what’s happening this week below. Don’t forget, Untapped New York Insiders get $5 off any Untapped New York public walking tours.
Hidden Gems of Governors Island
Wednesday, September 13th – Sneak Peek of the Almanac for NYC 2024
Get a preview of NYC events in the fall of 2023 and the year ahead with the editor of An Almanac of New York City for the Year 2024 Susan Gail Johnson! Discover quintessential and little-known New York happenings in all five boroughs like the NYC Winter Jazzfest and the Candlelight Ghost Tour, plus learn fascinating nuggets of NYC history
and hear about surprising discoveries Johnson made while researching the book. This virtual talk is free for Untapped New York Insider!
Thursday, September 14th – Uncover a Closely Guarded Secret Within Central Park
The location of the last known bolt from NYC’s original street grid survey is hidden within Central Park at a secret location, and we’ll take you there! This Untapped tour of Central Park is part of our new tour series designed specifically for local New Yorkers. Uncover a hidden navigational system using the park’s lampposts, visit the spot of a lost ladies-only ice rink, and more!
Friday, September 15th – Visit a Hidden Bookstore Inside a Gilded Age Mansion
Tucked away inside a Standford White-deigned mansion on 5th Avenue, there is a hidden bookstore stocked with tomes written in French and English. Make a stop at this secret spot as you stroll past other opulent homes of NYC’s Gilded Age on 5th Ave.
Saturday, September 16th – See House Rumored to Have Been Transported from Japan, in Brooklyn
Urban legend tells that this Japanese house in Flatbush-Ditmas Park was built especially for the Japanese Ambassador, and shipped over piece by piece from Japan. Though that’s not true, the home is stunning nonetheless. See this unique home and more Victorian Mansions of Flatbush!
Saturday, September 16th – Uncover Remnants of the Original Penn Station
Track down the remnants of NYC’s original Penn Station structure that was lost in the 1960s! You’ll uncover multiple remnants and visit the newest part of the station, Moynihan Train Hall, learn insider navigation tips, see never-before-seen old station photos, and receive a framable, reproduction ticket of the first commuter ride into Pennsylvania Station from 1910!
Saturday, September 16th – Travel Through the Oldest Stations of the Brooklyn Subway
Peer into abandoned stations as you travel underground with your expert guide! As you ride through some of the oldest and original subway stations of the system’s earliest lines, you’ll learn about the design stations, see where Michael Jackson filmed the music video, Bad, and discover secrets of the country’s busiest commuter railroad (LIRR)!
Sunday, September 17th – Explore Centuries of History at Governors Island
Trave the evolution of Governors Island from a fishing spot for the Lenape Native Americans through its time as a Dutch settlement and military base to the present day. Now a recreational and cultural hotspot, the small island is packed with big history. Explore former military forts, man-made landscape features, and other structures with a former Park Ranger!
Sunday, September 17th – Meet the Allegedly Cursed Family Who Designed the Brooklyn Bridge
The Roebling family was plagued by misfortune as they took on the task of designing one of the country’s most magnificent modern marvels, the Brooklyn Bridge. As you cross the iconic span, you’ll learn what befell John, Washington, and Emily, hear stories of a Cold War shelter and hidden art space, and find out where the nation’s first White House was~
Sunday, September 17th – Touch Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam
Get your hands on history as you walk the original street grid of Lower Manhattan as laid out by the Dutch in the 1600s. This street design is landmarked! As you walk the roadways, you’ll be in contact with a fence from the Revolutionary War, an 18th-century wall built now incorporated as art inside a subway station, a European canon and more relics of NYC’s colonial past!
Sunday, September 17th – Uncover the Secrets of Riverside Drive
Explore the 5th Ave of the Upper West Side! Riverside Drive is home to many fictional and real famous figures. You’ll stop by the apartment buildings of some of these characters as you trace the evolution of this scenic parkway and uncover secrets like the first monument in NYC to depict a female historical figures, and one of the narrowest buildings in NYC! Untapped New York Insiders can join this preview of our brand-new tour for just $5 (that’s $35 off!)
Monday, September 18th – See a Model Airplane Made by Cartier Hidden in Plain Sight at Rockefeller Center
Everyone knows Cartier makes fine jewelry and watches, but model airplanes? French silversmiths craft this model, on display inside one of the buildings at Rockefeller Center, in the 1920s. Uncover more hidden gems of the Art Deco complex, like the last bolt sign by John. D. Rockefeller, a lobby clad in gold, and more!
Tuesday, September 19th – Find Out What’s Hiding Beneath the Iconic Grand Central Clock
Beneath the priceless clock lies a space only accessible to workers! Learn more about what’s below the clockface and more off-limits spaces like the glass walkways that traverse the giant windows, and the massive basement below the terminal. This tour runs every day of the week!
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Check out all of our NYC walking tours here!