Underwater New York’s mission is to help our audience envision New York City in a new way, through its sixth borough—its waterways.
Inspired by the waters of New York City, we’re surfacing its lively materials and surprising stories. We publish bi-annual themed issues and host events, explorations, and an artist residency, partnering with others and inviting new audiences to work with our waterways.
In 2009, New York Magazine reported on the “other city” that lies below the surface of our waterways and harbors. Taking this piece as an invitation, we began curating a list of objects and phenomena in the waterways of New York City.
Spotted by divers, scientists, detectives, engineers, activists, artists, and citizens, these lively materials spark our curiosity and serve as a prompt for many of the stories we publish or produce. We also publish work that engages with our waterways or considers how this is, and always has been, a city of waters.
We value amateur knowledge, diverse points of view, and generous collective effort. Our partners range from small galleries and curatorial groups to established museums and institutions. As we bring our arts, literary, and waterfront programming to diverse audiences across New York City, we seek to foster creative engagement with place.