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Have you waited until the last minute to finish your holiday shopping, or just can’t figure out what to get that last person on your list? We’ve created a virtual gift guide with presents you can send immediately! From virtual theater tickets and live-streamed tours to honorary donations that will support the city’s cultural institutions, check out our last-minute gift guide!
Give the adventurous New Yorker in your life a passport to the city’s secrets with an Untapped New York Insiders membership! Untapped New York Insiders is a members-only club giving you access to virtual tours and talks, access to NYC’s most off-limits places, discounts to tours, and much more. Insiders also have access to a digital archive of all past virtual events.
Insiders have access to a calendar full of virtual presentations and live-streamed tours, (up to five a week!) that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home. These events are hosted by historians, authors, artists, curators and other experts. In past in-person experiences, Insiders have walked on the employee’s only catwalk in the Rose Reading Room at the 42nd Street Branch of the New York Public Library, climbed to the top of the Little Red Lighthouse beneath the George Washington Bridge, seen rare items in the largest collection of vintage posters in the world, and taken part in so many other uniquely New York experiences.
Photo: Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera
While Broadway is dark, you can still enjoy New York City theater from home. Broadway HD is a video subscription service that will give the theater-lover on your list access to a library of Broadway hits and classics like Cats, Kinky Boots, and Les Miserables. For opera fans, you can give access to the Met Opera on Demand catalog which includes nearly 700 performances. Another great way to support the performing arts and give a meaningful gift to a theater aficionado is to donate to a local theater in their name.
Give the gift of adventure with an Untapped New York Gift Card. This gift card will unlock the secrets of landmark New York City sites from Grand Central Terminal to the Brooklyn Bridge. On an expert-led Untapped tour, you will discover relics of the city’s past, from the hidden gems of Central Park’s North End, down to the remnants of the World’s Fairs in Queens. On each tour, we will adhere to a strict set of safety measures to protect the health of both our guides and our guests. You can see all of our upcoming experiences here!
With indoor dining suspended in New York City, New Yorkers will be ordering lots of take-out! Treat the foodie on your list to a delicious meal from their favorite local restaurant by giving an e-gift card. Check the website of your favorite spot to see if they offer virtual gift cards directly. One of Untapped New York’s favorite Brooklyn restaurants, Hunky Dory does! A Seamless gift card is another option that will allow your gift recipient to order out from thousands of restaurants across the city.
Classic Harbor Line offers exciting cruises around New York City throughout the year, departing from Chelsea Piers. Aboard one of their historically inspired vessels, like the 1920s-inspired Manhattan I yacht, you can take in views of the Manhattan skyline while sipping a cocktail and enjoying a snack. With a Classic Harbor Line e-gift card, your giftee can choose between a relaxing wine tasting sail, a narrated tour of the city’s skyscrapers with the American Institute of Architects and more. You can see a full list of Classic Harbor Line tours here! Throughout the month of December, Classic Harbor Line offers a variety of holiday-themed cruises around New York City.
Image Courtesy of the City Reliquary Museum
The pandemic has been hard on museums, which had to close for months during lockdown. You can show support for your local museum by gifting a membership or making a donation in someone’s honor. Museum memberships often come with fun perks such as free admission, access to special events, and gift shop discounts. Many smaller New York City institutions that Untapped New York has had the pleasure of partnering with for some of our Insider Events such as The City Reliquary in Brooklyn, The Dyckman Farmhouse in Manhattan, the Morris Jumel Mansion, The Tibetan Art Museum on Staten Island, can especially use support this year.
Image Courtesy of the Elizabeth Street Garden
Just like museums, green spaces could use extra support this year. Make sure that your giftee’s favorite local park, garden, or farm sticks around by making a charitable donation in their name. Sites like the Elizabeth Street Garden and the Queens Farm always appreciate donations. You can also help support new green space initiatives like The Brooklyn Greenway by adopting a plant along the bike path!
Jonathan Blanc / NYPL
Give your bibliophile friend a gift membership to the New York Public Library and help fund the library’s collections, job search resources, access to the internet, literacy classes, children’s story hours, and more. There are multiple levels of membership, starting at $50. At the Friend level, your giftee will receive a package of perks that includes 10% discount at the Library Shop in the store or online, a year’s subscription to the monthly e-newsletter, a personalized membership card, invitations to Friends-only exhibition previews and more. You can also make honorary donations to the Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library.
Next, check out 13 Places to Find Spectacular Holiday Decorations in NYC and 6 Stunning Department Store Holiday Windows to Check Out in NYC 2020
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