York is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Britain. This era was York’s apogee, its wealth and status reflected in the built environment, so much of which survives today. The city had always been an important ecclesiastical and trading centre, but it benefited significantly from the burgeoning textile and wool trade, and royal patronage. The latter came largely a result of York’s status as an Archbishopric and its strategic role as a base for English forays into Scotland. Prosperity was further reinforced by the establishment of a Jewish community. 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. 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: The late c. 15th saw York’s fortunes reversed. Yorkist king Richard III was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field by the House of Lancaster’s Henry Tudor, marking the end of the War of the Roses. York’s textile industry declined in the face of competition from West Yorkshire towns. The city became ruinous and depopulated. Worse was to come following the collapse of York’s great religious houses during the Reformation and Dissolution of the Monasteries, followed by Catholic strife and then civil war…

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 Installation On the walk down to the lower concourseof Grand Central Station is one of New York’s open secrets that every visitor has to try. Providing what the consumer craves through secrecy and rarity, the ‘speakeasy’ drives our deepest desire to uncover the mystery, discover the story for ourselves and be part of a premium experience, all at once.” Shyam Lakhani from The Bottle Club said; “In a world dominated by social media stories and online advertising, many are drawn to the idea of exclusivity.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. It was also praised in the creativity category (7.5 out of 10), establishing it as the UK’s sixteenth most mysterious bar.

Created by artist,Cynthia von Buhler – there are scores of tiny little doors that are dotted all across New York City. Would you believe it if we told you that amidst New York’s skyscrapers and busy roads is a medieval castle? A long and winding wooded pathway atop a hill in Manhattan will take you on a journey to the Middle Ages. 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.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.' This little spothas become a really cool little place to surprise a loved one with a surpriseproposal. 💍 2.)TouchThe Berlin Wall

You see, ever since finding out about these secret spots in London, I’ve been on the hunt to uncover New York’s secrets spots which will hopefully help on your next trip to New 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. 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.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. 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. 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 For a true lover of mystery and crime fiction, this is truly one of the best-hidden treasures of NYC. The Very Hush Hush – Tunnels Beneath Columbia University Yet the stories tell us much about York – and England’s – troubled history. The restless dead are often plague victims, Catholics, traitors, deviants, madmen and outlaws or their victims; men and women at the boundaries of society who represented ‘otherness’.

This can be one of the hardest secret spots of the lot to see when you’re in New York but if you stay on the 6 train while it turns around you may catch a rare glimpse of this beautiful station. Many of the other regular hikes mix topography with feats of endurance: try the Great Manhattan Bridge Walk, where you cross all of the island's walkable bridges on a 12-hour slog. Others are relative strolls: straight down Ocean Parkway from Prospect Park all the way to Coney Island, or today's walk of five miles from bay Ridge to Sunset Park in southern Brooklyn. 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.

If you were trying to book a reservation

The venue opened on May 12 - 10 years on from the death of her sister, Cerys, who lost her battle with cancer, aged 36, leaving behind two children. When you arrive at a class in anthropomorphic mouse taxidermy - which may be worth taking just to savor how those words hang together - you are confronted with a long table, and on it several dead mice to choose from. The animals have been… 'saved' is not quite the term. They've been shifted, in destiny, from a snake food outfit in the Midwest. Those curious about taxidermy but squeamish about murder will be pleased to know: they arrive pre-dead. 'I don't put in any request for color or size or anything,' says class leader Divya Anantharaman. 'It's a natural product, so you never know.' What could be more York-like than having the remains of a Roman bathhouse underneath a pub?! The Roman Baths is a pub on the busy St. Sampson’s Square, but underground are the remains of the bathhouse where Roman soldiers went to blow off some steam. While the museum is quite small, there’s lots of information about the life of Roman soldiers living in Eboracum (as York was known). Reward yourself from a pint at the bar after taking in all the history! If like many you're not totally sure what yoga is good for, and also can't remember what or when the summer solstice is, there is a peculiar event for your convenience. For the last dozen years on June 21, the spandexed masses have gathered to practice their usually private and inward-looking exercises in the honky, sultry, dirty, neoned jukebox of Mammon that is Times Square. The tradition started with just a handful of inspired devotees who glimpsed, among the heaving tourists, a hint of the eternal sublime: there is a flood of unharnessed forces in that place. Why not use it? You can’t claim to have uncovered all the secrets of New York unless you have been to the Mysterious Bookstore belonging to an equally mysterious owner.