Ah...scaffolding. That ubiquitous, necessary, and perpetually present part of New York City’s landscape. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the history of scaffolding, reveal just how much scaffolding there is in the city, why it exists, how long it stays up, why it's always green, how much it costs, and answer everything you've ever wanted to know about this scourge/icon.

You’ll hear from three experts: Ken Buettner from York Scaffolding Equipment Corporation, based in Long Island City Queens, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and architect Andrés Cortés who designed the Urban Umbrella, the beautiful sidewalk shed you often see in front of upscale businesses, particularly on Fifth Avenue. You'll hear a humorous clip from the HBO show, How to with John Wilson and also get a front row seat at the recent "Shed the Shed" rally on the steps of City Hall and learn what efforts the mayor and city council are taking to reduce the amount scaffolding. Oh, and it's not actually called scaffolding. Listen to find out more!

The Untapped New York Podcast is produced by Michelle Young. Music by Kittens Ablaze ("Hotel Room" and "Branches"). Clip from How to with John Wilson courtesy HBO.  New York City skyline in icon by Bernadette Moke, the Downtown Doodler. 

If you love to go behind the scenes and into NYC's' most hidden and secret places, you should jump onto some of our most exciting tours like the Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue, the Secrets of Grand Central, or our Underground Subway Tour. And if you're a real hard core New Yorker, join our Untapped New York Insiders program for access to the most off limits places with curated behind-the-scenes events on a weekly basis.