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Last-Minute NYC Father’s Day Gift Guide

Don’t forget about Dad! Discover our picks for the best NYC Father’s Day gifts of 2024, from books and booze to unforgettable experiences!

Father's Day Gift Guide collage
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Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 16th so we’ve rounded up our favorite gifts and experiences for the New York City-loving Dads! From high-quality spirits and history books for the sophisticated father figure to baseball stadium tours and abandoned architecture excursions for the adventure seeker, grab a unique last-minute gift:

1. Whiskey Tasting Experience

Fort Hamilton Distillery
Image Courtesy of Fort Hamilton Distillery

Dads with a discerning palette will enjoy a whiskey-tasting tour at Fort Hamilton Distillery. This Industry City distillery is on a mission to recapture America’s finest spirits by celebrating America’s original whiskey style, New York Rye. This style was the most popular libation in America pre-prohibition and has served as the base for the most discerning classic American cocktails. You can visit Fort Hamilton’s Brooklyn distillery for a special behind-the-scenes tour and tasting to see exactly how their premium spirits are made, and what they taste like. Use code UNTAPPED NY at checkout for  $5 off your tour ticket.

Prefer wine? Grab Dad a bottle of SMALLHOLDINGS Wine crafted by Artisans and Curators. The small batch wine is produced with hand-harvested grapes from a small vineyard located on Skaneateles Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Varieties available include Dry and Semi-Dry Rieslings and a Cabernet Franc.

2. Tour NYC’s Overlooked Places

Ellis Island

For adventurous Dads, an Untapped New York walking tour might be the perfect bonding experience. Over Father’s Day weekend, Untapped New York’s expert guides are leading tours of Jazz Age Harlem, the oldest stations in the underground subway system, food establishments of the Lower East Side, hidden gems of Grand Central Terminal, remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam, and the Gilded Age mansions of Fifth Avenue. You can also join a docent from Save Ellis Island for a hard hat tour of typically off-limits spaces within the abandoned hospital complex on the lesser-traveled side of the island or revisit the forgotten structures of NYC on a private guided tour of the Lost New York Exhibit at the New-York Historical Society. Check out all upcoming tours and book your tickets or grab a gift card and have your giftee choose their own adventure!

3. Cruise Around NYC’s Abandoned Islands

Classic Harbor Line abandoned islands sail
Photo Courtesy of Classic Harbor Line

Cruise around New York City’s abandoned islands on a sunset sail with narration by an expert urban naturalist, Gabriel Willow. This 3-hour excursion will take curious adventurers and bird watchers to the upper reaches of the East River during peak nesting time for Egrets and Herons. Along the way, your guide will point out remnants of the former quarantine hospital and other dilapidated structures on North and South Brother Island, share fascinating historical tales, and provide insight into the lives of wildlife creatures that inhabit the islands. All tickets include a complimentary beverage and sandwich!

This article contains affiliate links. When purchasing through Untapped New York’s affiliate links, there is no extra cost to you, but we earn a small commission which helps support our mission of independent journalism!

4. Gift Their Next Great Read

A collage of book covers

Is your Dad a World War II buff? An armchair detective? A New York City history nerd? We have a book for him! From guides written by the Untapped New York staff to the latest nonfiction releases from bestselling authors, the Untapped New York shop and Lit Salon shop are sure to have a story that fits their taste. In Secret Brooklyn uncover the borough’s quirkiest locations, like a robotic church, a hidden rooftop garden, and the smallest cemetery. New York City. Secret New York: Hidden Bars and Restaurants reveals watering holes and eateries inside a bodega behind a freezer door, below ground in the remnants of the oldest subway tunnel, behind a secret door that looks like a washer and dryer, and more inconspicuous places.

In selections from our Lit Salon series, Ronald Drabkin shares the story of a World War I hero turned World War II double agent, A.J. Jacobs tells of his year living according to the Constitution, and Michael Wolraich explores the shadows of Jazz Age New York to expose corruption and untangle the mystery of a shocking murder.

5. Go Behind the Scenes at Citi Field

Citi Field

Don’t just take Dad out to the ballgame, take him behind the scenes at the home of the New York Mets. On a guided tour of Citi Field, guests will explore spaces from the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and Piazza 31 Club to the Mets Hall of Fame and Press Conference Room. Along the way, learn about the history of the team and its famous players!

6. City Climb at The Edge

Couple on City Climb at The Edge

City Climb at The Edge is an experience Dad is sure to never forget. This experience will take you on the tallest open-air building ascent in the world as you scale the side of 30 Hudson Yards in Manhattan. At the top, you’ll have unparalleled and unobstructed views of the city below you. Celebrate with a toast in the champagne bar once you’re safely back inside the building!

7. Fresh Fish from the Fulton Fish Market

Overhead view of a dinner table
Image Courtesy of FultonFishMarket.com

Located in Hunts Point, New York, the Fulton Fish Market has a long and storied history that dates back 200 years. Through the market’s online retailer, FultonFishMarket.com, Dad can get the same ingredients used by iconic chefs like Jean Georges and Eric Ripert delivered right to his door! You can browse and choose products a la carte (FFM put together a helpful “grilling essentials” selection perfect for BBQ Dads) or sign him up for a subscription package. Untapped New York readers can use code FINEST at checkout for $40 off a gift subscription of their choice (Code expires 6/16)

8. A Passport to Exclusive NYC Members-Only Events

Insiders at the Morgan Library

Get Dad into exclusive members-only experiences across New York City by gifting a subscription to Untapped New York Insiders. As an Insider, you gain access to an ever-changing selection of behind-the-scenes experiences with partners like The Morgan Library, The New-York Historical Society, NYC Parks Department, and more. Plus, all members unlock more than 250 recorded webinars in our on-demand archive and can tune in for free to all virtual events hosted by NYC-based photographers, authors, historians, and other fascinating experts. Upcoming events include a visit to a media hub at the Brooklyn Navy Yard where you can turn yourself into a hologram, a tour of Westbeth Artists Housing, and a hike of an abandoned railway in Queens. See all upcoming events here!

9. Aerangis Candles

concrete jungle candle
Photo Courtesy of Aerangis Candles

Help Dad relax by gifting the soft glow and serene scents of Aerangis Candles. New York-based founder Alicia Tsai named the company after a white, star-shaped orchid that grew in her grandfather’s garden in Taiwan and provided her first scent memory. The scents of each design-forward, cruelty-free, plant-based, non-toxic candle come from a memory. Scents range from powdery musk to green vines and creamy jasmine to ancient incense. You can even design a unique scent that is truly your own! Get 10% off your purchase when you buy through this link.

10. Ode a la Rose

Ode a la Rose flowers
Photo Courtesy of Ode a la Rose

For a real last-minute gift, order a bouquet of roses from Ode a La Rose and get same-day delivery! In New York City, your gift is safely hand-delivered in Ode a la Rose’s signature gift box. The beautiful flower arrangements can also be shipped nationwide. Bouquets come in many different sizes with a variety of vase styles to choose from and fun add-ons like chocolate, macarons, or a scented candle. Ode a La Rose and Aerangis Candles are sponsors of the Lit Salon, a candlelit literary salon where you can see and smell their flowers and candles on display!

11. Attend a Book Launch Party

Guests at The Lit Salon

Take Dad out for a sophisticated soiree inside a historic Brooklyn brownstone where you can mingle with literary New Yorkers, enjoy live music, and sip on specialty cocktails! The Lit Salon is hosted by Untapped New York’s founder Michelle Young inside her own historic home. The candlelit evening features a conversation with an author, a live performance by Michelle’s Brownstone Trio, and a themed drink mixed by Untapped New York’s CEO Augustin Pasquet. In June, hear from author Julie Satow about her latest release, When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion! Can’t make it in person. Join the livestream.

See all upcoming Untapped New York Walking tours here!

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