How to Make a Subway Map with John Tauranac
Hear from an author and map designer who has been creating maps of the NYC subway, officially and unofficially, for over forty years!
This week, Untapped New York has tons of ways you can explore New York City! Join us to uncover the secrets of the Metropolitan Musuem of Art with the guidance of a former museum guard, stroll along the Victorian mansions of Flatbush, venture through the abandoned halls of the hospital on Ellis Island and more!
Secrets of The Met Museum
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Stroll along Millionaire’s Row and see the opulent homes of New York City’s Gilded Age. On this tour, you’ll admire the magnificent homes that still exist, and see historical images of those that have been lost to time while listening to stories of the scandals that took place inside. At the end of tour, you’ll step inside one of these dazzling buildings and visit a hidden bookstore!
Patrick Bringley, your guide for this tour, worked as a museum guard in the Met for a decade. As you follow him through the galleries of priceless artifacts, you’ll hear stories of the museum’s hidden nooks and vast backstage spaces. Locate hidden traces of the Met’s 150-year history as you peer into the eyes of a once-stolen Greek statue, find the tooth of Mary Magdalen in a Renaissance reliquary, and see the Met’s familiar masterpieces in a fascinating new light.
On this tour led by a trained naturalist and former National Park Service Ranger, you’ll unpack over 400 years of history while enjoying the scenic views and natural settings of Governors Island. Used by both Native Americans and Dutch settlers, Governors Island has undergone multiple transformations over the centuries. It hosted three different military fortifications and now serves as a hub of recreation, cultural arts, and climate research. Explore the ever-changing island and discover what lies ahead!
Step inside off-limits spaces on a hard hat tour of Ellis Island’s abandoned hospital, led by a Save Ellis Island docent. Once the standard for United States medical care, the facility was later transformed into a US Coast Guard base and an FBI detention center. As you explore, you will see larger-than-life images of immigrants pasted on the walls, part of artist JR’s exhibition, “Unframed- Ellis Island.” This tour is offered every Saturday and select Sundays.
Stroll alongside the stunning Victorian mansions of Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood! As you walk the charming tree-lined streets, you’ll see a private tennis club from 1889, visit small historic districts, and learn why these magnificent homes constructed by 19th-century developers broke away from the Brooklyn brownstone mold.
Explore where New York began and see what is left of Dutch New Amsterdam in lower Manhattan! With NYC’s first map in hand, you’ll trace the streets of Manhattan in 1667 while discovering hidden Dutch relics such as the foundations of NYC’s first City Hall, the long-forgotten oyster pasty cannon, the original battery wall and so much more!
Peer into a secret portal to see part of Rockefeller Center’s construction, walk through a lobby covered in gold, and find out where there is a sterling silver model airplane made by the Cartier at one of NYC’s most famous sites, Rockefeller Center! These NYC walking tours are offered every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Venture deep below the streets of New York City to explore the subterranean transit system. Starting at the very beginning, you’ll trace the evolution of the subway from opening day to the present. Along the way, you’ll discover hidden symbols in subway art, ride through abandoned stations, and see a side of the subway you never knew about. This tour runs every Monday through Saturday!
Peek into hidden tennis courts, stop by a speakeasy, and uncover remnants of a lost movie theater inside the magnificent Grand Central Terminal! On this expert-led tour, visitors and commuters alike will discover something new about one of NYC’s most beloved landmarks. This tour is offered everyday of the week!
Be one of the first to step inside the newly constructed tower built within the historic brick wall of the former Domino Sugar refinery building in Brooklyn! After strolling through Domino Park and learning about the innovative new features of the building (such as its vertical garden), you’ll finish at the glass penthouse where you’ll take in 360-degree views of NYC’s skyline!
Do you have photos from an Untapped New York tour? Send them to us at contact@untappedcities.com and you may be featured on our website or social media channels! You can also tag us @untappedny on Instagram. See the list below for all our upcoming experiences in June!
Check out all of our NYC walking tours here!
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