A discreet little stairway on St. Nicholas Avenue leads to a quaint and unexpected cobblestone street of 19th century wooden rowhouses.

A curious fountain that has no water and includes Satan, a crab, and 9 giraffes.

The fanciest public restroom in New York City boasts fresh flowers, art, and a classical music soundtrack.

The New York hotel where tragic visionary Nikola Tesla spent his final hours, destitute and alone but for the pigeons.

Everyone from Mark Twain to Teddy Roosevelt has a pipe hanging from the walls of this historic chophouse.

This hidden library of physiological ephemera contains centuries worth of knowledge on the vim and viscera of the human body.

“Invented in Key West, Perfected in Brooklyn."

Hordes of precariously balanced stone figures crowd the shores of the Hudson River.

This innocent-looking townhome is actually a subway exit.

Built as a gift to the hottest tastemaker of the time, these hidden quarters remain an Art Deco showpiece.

Deep under Manhattan is the largest construction project in city history. So far, the project has taken the lives of 23 workers, or "a man a mile."

The famous author's cottage hideaway.

Wine bottle sculpture with a ship's stateroom inside.

A bit of retro transportation flair preserved in the world's largest department store.

Lie in a hammock where George Washington stood.

Named the fifth most beautiful building in America in 1885, this former courthouse boasts the best view in the Village.

The oldest bibliophilia club in America, with exhibitions on historic books and graphic arts.

The oldest house in Manhattan is now a museum that remembers the home's sordid history of scandals, vice-presidents, and ghosts.

The final resting place of the great escape artist, where some still gather to wait for his escape from death.

The beautiful tunnel that ran from the lobby to Penn Station is still hidden underneath 34th Street.

One of the last few places in Manhattan that employed a pneumatic systemic keeps it on display.

Though its celestial ceiling is impressive, the true star is the vast collection of French books.

The loneliest island in New York.

Unique antiquarian shop specializing in globes, maps, and prints.