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… A brilliant new guidebook to New York unearths 'insider experiences' from Brooklyn to the Bronx, all so unusual that even most locals won't know about them. Laura Fowler delves in for a preview. 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! 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 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.

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! 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. 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. 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. 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.Representing class and culture, with distinct attire differentiating between blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, radicals, and rich people these charming sculptures sure have a way of putting a smile on your face. A Topside Secret – 620 Loft and Gallery

But this is the point. Stay long enough, and follow the motions of these concentrating thousands, and soak in the context and the chaos, and you might detect an inner buzz as a titanic current - the essence of New York - juices you up. 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. 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. It was also praised in the creativity category (7.5 out of 10), establishing it as the UK’s sixteenth most mysterious bar. 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.Book a tour in advance to skip the line and enjoy this New York hidden gem without any hassle. Nature as an Art – The New York Earth Room Walk enough and you might begin to suspect that nothing is boring - an awesome state of mind. In Bay Ridge you tramp down to the Beltway to a sight of the Verrazano Bridge that verges on the mystical. Further north is the virtually unknown Narrows Botanical Garden. 'It's the largest community garden in New York,' says landscaper Jimmy Johnson, taking a break to share the spot he's devoted himself to. 'We've got ponds, streams. There's a pollinating garden over there where we keep the beehives.' Further on you see a monument to the Viking Leif Ericson (it's just below the Valhalla Playground: Sunset Park was once heavily Scandinavian), and walk up through New York's second-largest Chinese population, passing along the way an old cinema converted into a Turkish mosque. You can see aLl this by yourself, but you likely wouldn't go as far. 'The next day, you're paralysed,' says group leader Bob Lazaro of the longer, heroic walks. 'You gotta go with somebody. A companion to talk to. That's why we do it.' Before we arrived in York, we'd read about the Barley Hall - a recently discovered medieval townhousethat had been lost in the middle of the medieval city of York.