Your Week Untapped: Top 10 NYC Events From January 18th-24th, 2016

Once again, we have a host of informative and exciting events planned out for you this week. To start the week off, New York City has plenty of events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, such as a historic walking tour of Harlem or reenactments of the 26th United States Colored Troops. For the chance to learn about the obscure secrets of two of New York City’s iconic buildings, we have our popular tours, The Secrets of the Woolworth Building and The Secrets of Grand Central Terminal, taking place next weekend.

Monday, January 18

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, join a special edition of Big Onion’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Historic Harlem Walking Tour to learn about New York City’s connections to the civil-rights movement. Important stops along this two-hour walk include the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the New York City headquarters of the NAACP, and the Harlem Hospital Center, which was where Martin Luther King Jr. was treated in 1958 after he was stabbed in a bookstore.

You can also head over to the New York Historical Society for their its event Living History Days: MLK Weekend, which runs from Saturday until today. Here, you can see “die-hard reenactors” of the 26th United States Colored Troops and even a platoon of New York-based African American soldiers from the Civil War, who will display their weaponry and share wartime stories to celebrate MLK’s life.

Tuesday, January 19

Today the Museum of the City of New York is hosting the one-night exhibit Housing a Growing City. It will feature a panel of urban planning leaders who will discuss the causes and solutions of rapid changes that are occurring in New York City, such as the disappearance of low-rent housing, homelessness, and economic and demographic shifts in city populations.

Wednesday, January 20

Test your knowledge of arts, books and culture at ABC Trivia. For this engaging, hour-and-a-half event, Huffington Post Arts, Books and Culture editors are teaming up with Electric Literature and BOMB Magazine to host their third trivia night at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in New York City. There will be a cash bar, prizes and “weird and wonderful lightning round questions.”

Thursday, January 21

Today is the first day of the annual New York Ceramics and Glass Fair, which is the “only fair of its kind in the United States that specializes in ceramics, pottery and glass from the 17th-21st centuries.” It will take up two floors of the historic Bohemian Hall, displaying 30 top-tier vetted Galleries, dealers and artists from the U.S., Europe and Asia. The ceramics on display include everything from 17th century to modern decor, such as pottery, porcelain and glass. It only runs until January 24th.

Friday, January 22

The pop-up supper club Placeinvaders is back in New York City after traveling around the country, and offering their first “chef-in-residence” dinner. Not only will this dinner take over an Upper East Side apartment, there will be an invasion of a secret space outside the apartment. Chef Jarobi White (formerly of a Tribe Called Quest) will be cooking, coming off guest appearances with Roy Choi and Marcus Samuelsson.

Head over to the Metropolitan Pavilion for its Outsider Art Fair, which also runs until January 24th. It will feature some familiar artists, but also many that you probably haven’t heard of, with colorful backstories.  “Outside Art” specifically emphasizes “raw creativity,” rather than any kind of “validation with the elite world.” So this event is a must-attend for all art lovers.

The Merchant’s House Museum, which constantly celebrates the work of aspiring and new writers, artists and musicians will be hosting its Open Mic Nite In the Parlor in this spirit. Much like how great 19th century thinkers, artists and writers used to gather in one place for an evening of socializing and “improving conversation,” the Merchant’s House wants to recreate this salon environment by having guests share their works or simple enjoy watching others.

Saturday, January 23

Our tour of the Secrets of the Woolworth Building takes place today. Helen Post Curry, the great-granddaughter of the building’s architect, Cass Gilbert, will lead the tour and tell you about its little-known areas and tidbits. She’ll take you to the normally off-limits areas of the breathtaking Woolworth Building, such as its secret vault and mezzanine levels, where you can learn all about its fascinating history. This tour is currently sold out, but join us again in February:

You should also check out Run This City hosted by the Museum of the City of New York. This event, which allows you to learn about the history of the marathon in the exhibit The New York City Marathon: The Great Race, is much more hands-on and physical than a typical talk or exhibit. Here, you’ll be running, jumping, limboing and sketching your way through a “mini marathon” to learn about some of New York City’s intrepid marathon runners. Children are especially encouraged to participate.

Sunday, January 24

Join our tour of the “Secrets of Grand Central Terminal” today, led by expert Tamara Agins from the New York City Department of City Planning and author of our popular series on the secrets of Grand Central. There’s also a bonus on this tour: it finishes at the Campbell Apartments, which was the Gilded Age office and salon of New York City tycoon John W. Campbell, which is now a hidden bar. Don’t miss this exclusive chance to learn about the obscure, quirky, fascinating secrets of one of New York City’s most iconic places.

Check out our other Untapped Cities tours, including our newest ones of Dutch New Amsterdam and the Secrets of Coney Island, here.