The great bustling city of New York is filled with secrets and new places to discover. Take a look at ten mystifying secrets of the Big Apple.
1. City Hall Subway Station.
Dated back to 1904, this subway station was built originally as the main City Hall stop on the six train. Made with beautiful titles and incredible stained glass, the station was decommissioned in 1945. Due to the increasingly larger subway trains, the curved and substantially shorter subway platform could no longer support trains. If you take the six line all the way to the last stop, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall, and stay on the train to loop back up town, you can catch a glimpse of the station still standing in all its glory.
2. The New York Earth Room.
Among Soho’s trendy streets and interesting shops you can find this abstract art installation. Located at 141 Wooster Street is a room filled with 280,000 pounds of dirt. This exhibit was installed in 1977 by Walter De Maria and the dirt has not been changed since.
3. The Back Room.
Located on the Lower East Side hidden behind an old toy factory sign lays this 1920s bar and eatery. Originally a speakeasy owned and operated by the infamous mobster Lucky Luciano, The Back Room still runs as a secretive speakeasy with its original decor, live jazz and cocktails served in tea cups. To find it, enter through the metal gates, to a dark alley, and down a set of stairs…Supposedly. Shhh!
4. The Parker Meridien Burger Restaurant.
Tucked behind some curtains in the lobby of The Parker Meridien is tiny burger joint few know about. Those who are “in the know” about this Meridien secret are reluctant to tell about their secret. Frequenters claim it has the best burgers around.
5. The “Secret Policy.”
The renowned Waldorf Astoria, famous for its grandeur, has been a popular place for wedding receptions for decades. What many do not know is the Waldorf has a special matching policy for anyone who has celebrated their wedding at the hotel. If the hotel or couple can find record of the total bill for that evening, no matter how long ago, they will charge no more than the couple paid that night for the entire bill. A couple married in 1947 paid a total of $15.75 for there anniversary one evening celebrating 66 years of marriage.
6. 6 ½ Avenue.
While this may be a more known secret of New York, many still do not take advantage of this peculiar pedestrian walkway. Located between 6th and 7th avenues, you walk blocks and blocks through interesting art installations and cool places to hangout.
7. The U.N. Meditation Room.
Yes. That is correct. The U.N has a meditation room and it is open to the public. Given that you want to pass through security, you can stop by the U.N. anytime and meditate away.
8. Community 54.
Enter into what seems like a retro arcade, walk through what appears to be a photo booth, and you are transported away into a men’s clothing store.
9. Secret Doors.
If you keep your eyes peeled when about in the city, you may find one of the many tiny door dotted throughout the city created by Cynthia von Buhler.
10. Pomander Walk.
This little residential village is seemly out of place as it was designed to look like European mews. Created in 1921, this fairytale paradise could be your home. Located on the Upper West Side just below Columbia University, you can catch a glimpse of this magical walkway, but you cannot enter without a key to the gates.
These are just a few of the many wonderful and secret spots that NYC has to offer! With a place as big as the city, there are new fun and cool places to be discovered everyday. So, keep your eyes open and explore!