ABOUT UNTAPPED NEW YORK
Untapped New York unearths New York City’s secrets and hidden gems.
We can’t wait to explore New York with you.
Founded in 2009, Untapped New York is powered by a team of passionate New Yorkers, always exploring the city. We are dedicated to our mission of discovery, so come back daily to uncover new secret and hidden places, get behind-the-scenes access to the places we cover and meet the incredible people shaping our city.
Experience NYC’s secrets and hidden gems in person with our local guides, or access the city’s most off limits places by joining our community of passionate Untapped New York Insider members. We offer many ways to discover New York City.
Michelle Young, Founder
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and author of The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Story of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. Her work has appeared in Narratively, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Hyperallergic, The Forward, Curbed, Metropolis Magazine and The Wilson Quarterly. She is a graduate of Harvard College in the History of Art and Architecture and holds a master’s degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she is a Professor of Architecture. She is also a scholar in the New York Public Library’s Allen Room. Michelle appears regularly in documentaries by Netflix, National Geographic, The History Channel, Smithsonian, PBS, and more. She can be reached at @michelleyoungnewyork. Official website: michelleyoungwriter.com.
Augustin Pasquet, CEO
Augustin hails from Paris, and has lived in Nigeria, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Brooklyn, where he currently resides. He is a graduate of ESSCA Business School in France with a major in marketing and worked for seven years in sales and brand marketing for L’Oreal in both Paris and New York City. Augustin’s photography has been published in Travel & Leisure, Brooklyn Magazine, Time Out New York, as well as in the books New York: Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway.
Justin Rivers, Chief Experience Officer
Justin leads Untapped New York’s experience department, creating and delivering some of its most popular tours including the Underground Tour of the NYC Subway, the Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam, and the Remnants of Penn Station tour. His mission continues to be creating and leading unique experiences that help New Yorkers and visitors alike rediscover their city. He has lived in New York City for over 20 years and is a graduate of Fordham University.
Nicole Saraniero, Editor and Director of Events
Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science in Television and Film Production and earned a Certificate in Historic Preservation Studies from NYU. Her writing has appeared in Untapped New York and Atlas Obscura. She is currently on the road living in a different U.S. city each month, but usually splits her time between her hometown on Long Island and her adopted city of Saint Louis.
Aaron Asis, Artist in Residence
Aaron was born and raised in New York City and spent his childhood exploring its neighborhoods, its people, and its streets. As an artist, Aaron draws from a lifetime of curiosity and exploration to promote access and awareness throughout our cities — working to create connections between community groups, non-profit organizations, and government agencies, to celebrate the under-appreciated and exhibit work in unexpected places.