As an Untapped New York Insider, you gain access to a new line-up of member-exclusive in-person and virtual events every month, as well as access to our on-demand archive of 250+ previously recorded virtual events. Join us this month as we explore the formerly abandoned Batcave of Gowanus, tour a Gilded Age mansion and hike a nearby abandoned mine trial, learn about a mysterious find from the archives of The Met, and more! Use code JOINUS to get your first month of membership free!
Don’t forget, Untapped New York Insiders also get $10 off any Untapped New York public walking tour.
May 2nd – The Fight to Preserve NYC’s Endangered Languages: Author Talk with Ross Perlin
In this live virtual talk, Ross Perlin will give an inside look at his recently released book, Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York. Perlin will share what goes on inside the offices of the Endangered Language Alliance, introduce you to six remarkable yet ordinary speakers of little-known languages, and share how you can help preserve the city’s linguistic diversity. Insiders will take part in the discussion by sending in questions for a live Q&A.
May 4th – Tour Powerhouse Arts, the Formerly Abandoned Batcave of Gowanus
Join a custom tour of Powerhouse Arts to explore the fabrication shops and more spaces inside this masterfully renovated state-of-the-art facility for artists. Originally built as the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) Central Power Station Engine Home in 1904, the brick structure was decommissioned in the 1950s and earned the nickname “The Batcave” after it became a derelict squatter’s residence. Now, the building has transformed into an arts destination.
100% of your ticket price goes to Powerhouse Arts!
May 7th – Explore a Fiber Arts Exhibit in a Never-Before-Opened 18thCentuy Warehouse
Experience an explosion of fiber art on four floors of a never-before-seen, landmarked venue in the heart of the South Street Seaport with gallerists and curators John Lee and Karin Bravin! Go inside 207 Front Street where more than 125 artworks by over 60 artists are currently on display. You’ll see site-specific works that pay homage to the building’s history and incorporate original machinery, interactive pieces, and new work by big names like Willie Cole.
May 8th – A Vanishing New York: Central and Thousand Island-Seaway Region
Join photographer John Lazzaro for a visual exploration of the abandoned sites scattered throughout New York’s Central and Thousand Island-Seaway Region. Get behind-the-scenes insight into how the photographer researched and shot locations, such as the Mohasco Power House Fownes Factory, Newton Falls Fine Paper Co., the New York State Inebriate Asylum, and more sites featured in A Vanishing New York: Ruins Across the Empire State
May 10th – Behind-the-Scenes Racing Experience at Yonkers Raceway
Enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and racing experience at this 125-year-old track! Go inside the paddock where horses wait for the races and meet a world-class racing driver and racing expert. Watch the races from the Driver’s Building and get a wagering lesson as you celebrate this historic track’s milestone anniversary.
May 11th – Inside the Blackwell House: Special Access Roosevelt Island Tour
Join Roosevelt Island Historical Society Director Judith Berdy and Untapped New York’s Chief Experience Officer Justin Rivers for a Roosevelt Island walking tour with access inside the historic Blackwell House! We’ll also make stops at a hidden Guastavino ceiling, a recently unveiled statue of FDR, a newly planted tiny forest, and The Strecker Laboratory – the first lab in the country devoted exclusively to pathological and bacteriological research.
100% of your ticket price goes to the Roosevelt Island Historical Society!
May 12th – Backstage Tour of the Met Opera
Peek behind the curtain of this famous New York City institution and explore backstage areas that are typically not accessible to the public! Untapped New York Insiders get tickets for $10, that’s $25 off the regular price.
On this special access tour, guests will see firsthand how the opera’s extravagant productions come to life in buzzing backstage areas like the scenic and carpentry shops, the wig shop, costume shop, and see where the actors prepare in their dressing rooms.
May 14th – Lit Salon: “Shanghailanders” Book Launch Party
Celebrate the launch of Shanghailanders with author Juli Min, Vanessa Chan, the Malaysian author of The Storm We Made, and Untapped New York’s Founder Michelle Young! This literary event will include a live performance by the Brownstone Trio and a specially-themed cocktail.
Untapped New York Insiders get free access to the live stream!
May 16th – Death of Artists: Author Book Talk
Jim Moske, former Managing Archivist of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, made a surprising discovery deep within the archives: two forgotten scrapbooks packed with century-old obituaries of painters, illustrators, sculptors, and photographers, famous and forgotten alike. In this live virtual talk, Moske talks with Untapped New York founder Michelle Young about his find and the journey it led him on!
May 18th – Victorian Ringwood Manor Tour and Abandoned Mine Trail Hike
Step inside the Gilded Age country estate of New York City’s famous Cooper & Hewitt families for a guided tour with Ringwood Manor’s lead historian Sue Shutte, then head outside to explore the grounds with Untapped New York’s Chief Experience Officer Justin Rivers! You’ll get to explore 32 rooms of the stunning mansion and uncover remnants like the iron gate from an Astor mansion and the last surviving offshoot of Peter Stuyvesant’s pear tree.
May 21st- Lit Salon: Living Constitutionally Book Launch Party
New York Times Bestselling author A.J. Jacobs learned the hard way that donning a tricorne hat and marching around Manhattan with a 1700s musket will earn you a lot of strange looks. In The Year of Living Constitutionally., Jacobs tries to get inside the minds of the Founding Fathers by living as closely as possible to the original meaning of the Constitution. Join Jacobs and Michelle Young at The Lit Salon, an intimate literary salon set to candlelight inside Maison Brooklyn with a live performance from The Brownstone Trio.
May 22nd – Five Stories: Family Histories of the Lower East Side
Discover how a picture book comes to life from author and illustrator Ellen Weinstein, creator of Five Stories. This book follows five families on the Lower East Side through multiple generations. In this live talk, you’ll get behind-the-scenes insight into the process of making the book and learn how Weinstein’s own family inspired it. You’ll have the chance to ask your own questions during a Q&A with the author.
May 26th – 1964/65 World’s Fanfare, Part I: Historic Site Tour with Performances
Experience pop-up dance performances in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the 1964/65 World’s Fair! Meet at 2:00pm at the Unisphere for an international flag parade then, move on to the Fountain of Planets and other fair sites for popup dance performances representing countries present at the World’s Fair, including China, Africa, the Philippines, the Caribbean, Greece, and Ireland. This free event is presented in partnership with Queens Theatre and Queensboro Dance Festival. Additional partners include Untapped New York, Bill Cotter, and Queens Economic Development Corporation.
May 29th – After-Hours Tour at the Poster House: Wonder City
Tour the latest exhibition inside Poster House, Wonder City of the World: New York City Travel Posters with Es-pranza Humphrey, Assistant Curator of Collections, while the museum is closed to the public! Examine eye-catching travel posters from the 19th and 20th centuries while learning about the explosive growth of NYC’s tourism industry
Check out all upcoming Insider events!