Here at Untapped New York, our mission is to help our readers rediscover New York City, one article at a time. This year, we covered a wide range of topics, from Alice Austen’s Gilded Age photographs of Staten Island to SoHo’s distinctive cast iron architecture and the role MoMa played in the Mexican Modern movement of the 1920s and ’30s. The stories that most captivated you include topics like forgotten subway entrances, the Vanderbilt houses and mansions, Victorian Flatbush, and much more. Without further ado, we present the top 10 most popular new articles published in 2021, ranked in ascending order.
10. Filming Locations for Only Murders in the Building
The series “Only Murders In the Building,” released on Hulu today should tickle the hearts of old New Yorkers (and new). First, the filming locations for the comedic murder-mystery are entirely shot in New York City and the action is set on the Upper West Side. Second, the show is the brainchild of Steve Martin, along with screenwriters Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman. It has an old school vibe in how the show is conceived (narrators included) but is fully set in modern times.
The coolest museums in New York City are hard to narrow down. There’s always something to experience in New York City that most may only witness once in their lifetime, whether it’s a hole-in-the-wall cafe, a Broadway show, or perhaps one of the coolest museums in the world. Visitors tend to appreciate the city’s many arts institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the New York-Historical Society and mahy more, which are absolute must-visits Still, not very many people have not heard of or explored more under-the-radar museums in New York City, leaving plenty of opportunities to plan an enriching trip to see, for example, street art or Indigenous art. Here are top 22 of the coolest museums in New York City (in our humble opinion!)
8. Top 10 Secrets of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC
The famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel has a quintessential New York City-origin story. It began as a family feud and rivalry between two very wealthy cousins who shared the last name Astor. William Waldorf Astor proceeded to irritate his cousin John Jacob Astor by building a 13-story hotel on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street, on a residential block where John Jacob’s mother lived. Four years later, John Jacob, in turn, built a 17-story hotel just a few feet away–and the rest is history.
7. Guide to the Stunning Mansions of Victorian Flatbush in Brooklyn
Once home to acres of colonial Dutch farmland, Flatbush is now an area of Brooklyn known for boasting some of the most magnificent and diverse architecture in New York City. Flatbush’s architectural splendor can be attributed to the development boom it experienced in the late 19th and early 20th-centuries. At that time, a slew of real estate developers bought up farmland in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn and constructed residential suburban neighborhoods. This boom was spurred by many factors, including new transportation lines that connected the borough to Manhattan, the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, and the opening of Prospect Park in 1867.
6. The Secrets of Winfield Hall, the Woolworth Mansion in Glen Cove
Years before the Roaring Twenties, Frank Woolworth built himself a fortune when he opened a store selling merchandise for spare change. His company, the F. W. Woolworth Company, pioneered the five-and-dime stores that became popular in the United States. With his fortune built off of nickels and dimes, he later built Winfield Hall for $10 million in Glen Cove, Long Island.
The Upper West Side, a neighborhood extending from West 59th Street to West 110th Street between Central Park and the Hudson River, is a primarily residential and wealthy area with lots of historic sites and cultural institutions. The home of Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History, the Upper West Side is a popular tourist destination, drawing many to sites like Riverside Park or the New-York Historical Society. Many may picture the Upper West Side as having tall historic apartments for the city’s elite, but there are plenty of spots that are under-the-radar or rarely visited along the famed Riverside Drive or West End Drive to discover. Here’s our guide to the top 10 secrets of the Upper West Side.
The Vanderbilt family, the namesakes of New York sites such as Vanderbilt Avenue and skyscrapers like One Vanderbilt, was one of the richest families in American history. Their success began with the shipping and railroad endeavors of “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt, and his descendants would go on to not only expand the family’s business and fortune but also build grand mansions throughout the city and surrounding area. There were dozens of mansions constructed on Fifth Avenue and nearby streets by his children and grandchildren, many of which were demolished. They also built luxurious summer cottages in Newport, Rhode Island, including The Breakers. However, in what was described as the “Fall of the House of Vanderbilt,” the Fifth Avenue mansions and estates in the New York area were either destroyed or converted into museums. Although much of the history of these historic structures now hides behind office buildings or department stores, learn more about the two dozen Vanderbilt homes in New York that once pulled in the most affluent and famous of guests.
New York City’s underground subway system is the largest in the world, and it is constantly evolving. Since the subway and the city above it have changed so much over the past century, the system is dotted with forgotten entrances and exits that once connected popular stations to nearby buildings or other transit hubs. Uncover more secrets of the NYC subway in our upcoming virtual talk on the system’s abandoned stations! From an elaborate entrance that once led early 20th-century socialites to a buzzing hotel bar and restaurant to corridors that protected commuters from the elements, discover some of the subway’s forgotten entrances!
2. 10 Remnants of the Original World Trade Center Still on Site in NYC
Two decades ago, when the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11, 2001, Lower Manhattan would be forever altered. Not only did an iconic piece of the skyline disappear, taking with it almost 3,000 lives, the demolition, rebuilding, and reshaping of the site has been in progress for seventeen years. Along the way, new buildings opened – 1 WTC, 3 WTC, 4 WTC, the Santiago Calatrava-designed transportation hub (aka the Oculus), and others. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum opened, and new streets were run through the former super block, along the same paths they once took before the Twin Towers were built. A new elevated park was built and the Cortlandt Street subway station re-opened just this past Saturday. A new performing arts center is on the way and after financial troubles, the new St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is back on track.
Looking to experience the culinary side of New York’s history? Look no further than these 15 classic restaurants that have been cherished by local New Yorker’s for generations, all which were founded before the turn of the 20th century. From former pipe clubs to knish bakeries, these spots offer delicious menus served with a journey into the past. So take a tour of the dishes that made the city’s food scene internationally known, and treat yourself to the delectable dishes of New York’s oldest restaurants.
Laura is the managing editor of Untapped New York and a freelance writer based in Rome with a passion for covering travel, arts and culture, lifestyle, design, food and wine. Her writing has also appe
