Built on Roosevelt Island, this abandoned smallpox hospital has been left untouched since its last inhabitants left. Head over to BARC in Williamsburg and break a dog out of the clink for a couple of hours. It's miles more than just fun. You'll feel roundly rewarded, a little like Robin Hood: rebellious and good at the same time. New Yorkers who have never been to the Bronx assume that it's a concrete waste carpeted with discarded drug paraphernalia and dotted by fire; others know that it has more greenspace that any other borough in the city. It's possible to see a fair amount of that green - as well as lakes, rivers, estuaries and open sea - by hitting the largest parks, strung one after the other on a continuous bike path. And 'bike path' doesn't mean a painted lane between a sidewalk and roaring traffic, strewn with dangers: it means you cross the borough nearly from end to end on your own strip, without ever having to share the road with a car. There are hundreds of miles of ambitious bikeways proposed in the city: this one, the Mosholu-Pelham Greenway, is ready for you. With the hundreds of thousands of visitors each day, it can be hard to hear the calming art installation that has been installed byMax Neuhaus right in the middle of Times Square. That’s exactly what artist Walter De Maria did in 1977 in a random room of a New York Soho loft, which not only made this NYC hidden gem an enigmatic art but also somewhat iconic. Initially, the Earth Room with a 22-inch-deep layer of soil was supposed to be temporary, but following its success, the art piece became permanent.

Old City Hall Subway Stationis one of the prettiest subway stations in New York. Closed in the early 20th Century, the stained glass window and beautiful arches is a remnant of historic New York.The class has a variety of props you can choose from, but the best results flow from personal visions. Aaron, who trekked all the way from Connecticut, has brought along a tiny bronze shield and sword, and a bristling crest. 'It's deer fur,' he says. 'It just… seemed right.' Pomander Walk is such a stark contrast to the huge glass and steel towers that define New York City and looks like you’ve just stepped into a quaint little town in the middle of the English countryside. 9.) UN’s Meditation Room Armed with a copy of Jones's book, we headed for Bootham Bar, one of the entrances through York's ancient walls. The gateways through York's walls are called bars and Bootham Bar is the oldest, marking a nearly 2,000 year old Roman way into the city.

Having a prime location built into the actual city walls, Gatehouse Coffee is probably my favorite coffee shop in the city. Not only can you walk out along the barbican of the gate to the city, but you can also enjoy your drinks on the rooftop terrace with views towards the Minster, or cozy up in the indoor rooms. Their chai tea latte is the only hot beverage I’ll buy (and for someone who doesn’t drink coffee or tea, that says a lot). Gatehouse is definitely one of the best coffee shops in York! The Met Cloisters is one of those secret places in NYC that is desperate to stay hidden. The castle, with its covered pathways, manicured gardens, stained glass, central square, manuscripts, and tapestries from the 12 th, 13 th, and 14 th centuries, contains elements from original European cloisters. Cholera broke out in the city of York in 1832, and at least 185 people died of the disease. There is a small burial ground, which is located just across the street from York’s train station and the Principal Hotel. A lot of people don’t notice this hidden gem on their way to or from the station. But there are about 20 gravestones left here. Legend has it that these doors move around (almost like they lead to magical fairytale kingdoms) so you need to be very alert to see one. 7.) Time Square Sound InstallationNestled onto one side of the McGraw-Hill building in New York, the glass waterfall is situated a mere 4-minute walk from all the action at Time Square. Stand inside the tunnel and let the waterfall over you… There’s an overwhelming feeling of being inside this ‘waterfall’. If you've heard of the group of New York foot explorers who call themselves Shorewalkers (motto: 'Seeing the World at Three Miles per Hour') it's likely for the Great Saunter, a creeping marathon held every May that hugs the waterfront for a complete circuit of Manhattan. That's 32 miles. 'You have the option to walk all the way around,' says an older gentleman who wears a button on his chest with the slogan 'Polite New Yorker.''We had a thousand people last time, and five hundred finished!' He feigns dejection: 'I'm not among them.' While the street doesn’t look the same as it did during its crime-ridden days, it is still super cool to visit. If you wish to stroll where the gangsters once roamed, a walking tour is the best way to see where some of the worst criminal acts took place.

Just outside the Museum Gardens is St. Olave’s Church, home to my favorite door in York! This pretty little church was first mentioned in 1055, rebuilt in the 1400s, and underwent substantial repairs in the early 1700s. It is dedicated to the patron saint of Norway, St. Olaf—and this church was the first known church dedication to the saint anywhere in the world. It’s definitely one of York’s hidden gems. By all accounts York was a squalid place. Murage – a tax levied to ensure upkeep of the city’s walls – ensured York’s population was protected from external threat. But at its peak 30,000 people dwelt in the city and many threats would have come from within, in the form of illness and disease. Edward III famously wrote the following to York’s grandees in 1332:This work of art by La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela will pull you deep into the ever-changing world of light and sound. There is no fanfare around it, and you might even stumble upon it randomly as you’re strolling down Church Street in Tribeca.

A broad welcome,' says one of the planners into a microphone, 'on this, the longest day of the year, a day when the sun is delivering more energy to us than on any other.' The sun right now is perceptible only as a bright strip of sky high above the gully of convulsing advertisements, but the point is interesting. Can loose energy be assimilated? If so, Times Square does in fact make an ideal spot. And if popularity is any indication, it works: the ground is carpeted with stretching bodies, each one on a branded yoga mat. 'We think it's grown,' says the loudspeaker, 'because it really taps into what all of us are really trying to do, which is: engage with life.' In 1980, Otto Penzler, a German-born American editor and publisher of mystery fiction, realized that his collection of first edition novels had gotten a little out of hand. He needed a space for his 60,000 – and growing – collection of books. The necessity gave way to what is now the oldest and biggest bookstore, with fun touches of dramatics – the door leading to Penzler’s office is marked by police tape. The fact is, this gem of a city has so many medieval treasures and so many twisting lanes and alleys that it is really possible, to simply lose one or two of them. By the end you're at Orchard Beach; you started at a wooded lake, and now you're looking at gulls drifting over Long Island Sound. There's even another gold-toothed fisherman here, of a different sort: a guy with a metal detector and a perforated scoop. 'I find rings,' he says, 'sometimes. It's like I says: people at the beach, they lose things.' He shrugs and moves on.

Next to York Explore Library and Museum Gardens are some of the ruins of St. Leonard’s Hospital. At one time it was the biggest hospital in the north of England. It was founded after the Norman Conquest, and this building was built after the former St. Peters Hospital was damaged by fire in 1137. The vaulted crypt is all that’s left, and the structure on top would have been the chapel. There are places, as at the beginning of the bumpy stretch along Pelham Parkway, where it seems that your charmed trail will peter out into a mess of urbanity - and then you veer into a shadow and under rows of tall gingko trees. And the blazes aren't always exactly clear, but puzzling out the path adds a dash of challenge. There is a way to cross the Bronx on a bike. You will find it. Take a look, below, at some of the secret spots you have to visit in New York. 1.) Whispering Archof Grand Central Station The longest I did was from Inwood to the Battery,' says Cheryl, a regular. Not shabby: it's the entire length of Manhattan. 'It was painful. But what fascinates me about these walks, is I see neighbourhoods that I wouldn't normally go to.' Often the territory covered has no conspicuous appeal, and slyly reversing your assumptions may be the best thing Shorewalkers offers. 'You'll turn a corner,' says Cheryl, 'and all of a sudden you'll have an unbelievable view.' Brooklyn Grange is a farm on a roof. Most visitors access it through a café at street level which has its fruits and vegetables delivered, perhaps uniquely, from upstairs. When a waiter passes with a mixed salad, the owner says, 'Yep,' and points at the ceiling. 'Everything on that plate came from up there.'