The Untapped New York Podcast

Ah...scaffolding. That ubiquitous, necessary, and perpetually present part of New York City’s landscape. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the history of scaffolding, reveal just how much scaffolding there is in the city, why it exists, how long it stays up, why it's always green, how much it costs, and answer everything you've ever wanted to know about this scourge/icon. You’ll hear from three experts: Ken Buettner from York Scaffolding Equipment Corporation, based in Long Island City ...

In this episode, we do a deep dive into one of New York City’s most recognizable pieces of street furniture: fire alarm call boxes. You know what we're talking about. They're (often) red and sit prettily on sidewalks with the ability to call the fire department and the police. Fire alarm call boxes have been around for more than a hundred years and come in different shapes and sizes, from the ornate Victorian ones to the more modern ones. Before the advent of telephones and much later, cell p...

New York City's lost opera houses are having their fifteen minutes of fame, thanks to the HBO show, The Gilded Age, which brought their dramatic histories to life in the most recent season. We dug into these former opera houses in our new extended episode which weaves in clips from The Gilded Age. We'll cover some of the earliest of opera houses (some of which where were Italian!), the Astor Place Opera house which inspired one of the deadliest riots in the city's history, the Academy o...

Did you know there's a Main Street in New York City? Most people probably associate the idea of Main Street with quaint American towns and villages but New York City has not just one but five Main Streets. Join Untapped New York's founder Michelle Young as she goes on a quixotic mission to find all of NYC's Main Streets. The Untapped New York Podcast is produced by Michelle Young and co-hosted by Justin Rivers. Music by Kittens Ablaze ("Hotel Room"). Additional sounds by Daniel Simon an...

This episode is all about Oppenheimer, as the movie heads into the Academy Awards with thirteen Oscar nominations. Michelle Young and Justin Rivers from Untapped New York first delve into J. Robert Oppenheimer's early life in New York City where the character and moral beliefs of the precocious future scientist were forged. Our hosts also discover their mutual connection to the atomic bomb itself. Then, Michelle interviews Oppenheimer's production designer Ruth de Jong who is up for an Oscar ...

When the young and beautiful Vivian Gordon was found strangled in Van Cortlandt Park in 1931, the case to find her killer unveiled the dark underbelly of New York City political power and policing. In this episode, author Michael Wolraich of the new book The Bishop and the Butterfly, which the New York Times calls a “propulsive” “political thriller," recounts this story along with Pulitzer Prize winner Debby Applegate, author of Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler at the inaugural Lit S...

The newest episode of the Untapped New York podcast is out! Discover a dozen of the most interesting places in the Bronx, from the book The Bronx Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide by William Helmreich, who walked every street in New York City’s five boroughs. That's more than 6,000 miles! The book was published posthumously, as Helmreich sadly passed away from COVID in 2020. His wife, Helaine, who walked much of the city with William had the book published after his death and jo...

This episode of the Untapped New York podcast features a reading and interview with Maria Smilios, the author of the book The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis. Her eloquently and meticulously researched narrative non-fiction book is told with first hand interviews with the Black Angel nurses of Sea View Hospital on Staten Island. In the episode, Smilios brings to light this important but forgotten story in a moving, lyrical recounting of the brav...

In this week's Take the 5, Michelle and Justin discuss the anniversary of opening day of the George Washington Bridge along with a new alligator art installation you can find in Manhattan.The Untapped New York Podcast is produced by Untapped New York. Music by Kittens Ablaze ("Gloom Doom Buttercups"). New York City skyline in icon by Bernadette Moke, the Downtown Doodler.

What do all these three things have in common? Nothing except that they are all related to New York City! Welcome to our inaugural episode of Take the 5, our new weekly show of the weirdest, wackiest, wildest NYC news and other fun stuff. Hosted by Michelle Young & Justin Rivers of Untapped New York. The Untapped New York Podcast is produced by Untapped New York. Music by Kittens Ablaze ("Gloom Doom Buttercups"). New York City skyline in icon by Bernadette Moke, the Downtown Do...