Viewing NYC Articles Categorized Under Documentaries

[WATCH] The New York Water System is Crazier than you Thought - but it Works

2026-05-17T12:00:00-04:00

This video explores the elaborate and essential water system that supplies New York City with over a billion gallons of drinking water daily. It highlights the historical challenges of providing clean water to the growing city, from contaminated wells and cholera outbreaks in the 1800s to the monumental construction of aqueducts and reservoirs in upstate New York, including the Croton Aqueduct and the Catskill/Delaware watershed system. The video also showcases modern aspects of the system, such as state-of-the-art UV treatment facilities and the iconic rooftop water tanks maintained by companies like Rosenwach Tank Co., emphasizing the dedication of workers and scientists from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection who ensure a reliable and clean water supply for millions, a luxury often taken for granted by New Yorkers.

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[VIDEO] 26.2: Journey to the Finish Line of the TCS New York City Marathon

2026-05-10T12:00:00-04:00

This documentary, 26.2: Journey to the Finish Line of the TCS New York City Marathon, follows four New Yorkers as they train for the iconic race, each with a unique and inspiring story. The film highlights the journeys of a retired math teacher, an NYPD administrative aide, a public defender, and an elevator mechanic, who collectively have overcome a stroke, cancer, a devastating house fire, and even finishing last in a previous marathon. Produced with support from New York Road Runners, this film isn't just about athletic prowess, but about resilience, determination, and the profound personal reasons that drive participants to cross the finish line.

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[VIDEO] Inside Rikers Island’s Jail Kitchen

2026-05-02T12:00:00-04:00

This video offers a rare glimpse inside the Gary A. Spitzer Central Kitchen at Rikers Island, New York City's notorious jail complex. Chefs like Mr. Ageda and Mr. Kirby work 24/7 to prepare thousands of meals daily for staff and people in custody. Strict security measures are in place, with knives chained to heavy machinery and all utensils meticulously accounted for by correction officers, including Officer Lync and Officer Stoute. Detainees, referred to as people in custody (PICs), assist with tasks like washing dishes and moving food wagons, but are not permitted to handle the food itself. Detainees, such as Nadine Leach, who was a chef before her incarceration, are paid $1.45 an hour, significantly below New York City's minimum wage. The video highlights several challenges, including a ban on salt in Rikers food (a policy introduced by former mayor Michael Bloomberg) and the high prices of items at the commissary, as criminal justice reporter Reuven Blau explains. Historically, Rikers operated as a penal farm, but transitioned to bulk food production in the 1930s. Food quality has been a long-standing issue, prompting various reforms over the decades. With New York City's plan to close Rikers by 2027 and open smaller borough-based jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, a new, healthier plant-based menu is being developed with the help of nonprofit Hot Bread Kitchen. The city's plan, endorsed by officials like State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, aims to improve conditions for those incarcerated.

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[VIDEO] Check Out This Great New York Times Mini-Documentary on New York City Subway Delays

2025-07-16T12:00:00-04:00

In a recent mini-documentary titled Your Train is Delayed. Why? from the New York Times, visial journalists Ora DeKornfeld and Alexandra Garcia set out to investigate the current state of delays in the City, how we got here, and how we can fix it. It's a short 10-min watch and a great overview of the MTA's current transit crisis.

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[VIDEO] Check Out This Great New York Times Mini-Documentary on New York City Subway Delays

2025-03-17T12:00:00-04:00

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[VIDEO] The Lost Arcade, a Documentary About the Legendary 76-Year-Old Chinatown Fair Arcade

2025-02-26T12:00:00-05:00

The Lost Arcade is a 2015 documentary from filmmakers Kurt Vincent and Irene Chin which tells the story of Chinatown Fair, the legendary arcade located in the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown.

THE LOST ARCADE is the critically acclaimed documentary about the last hold out of old-school arcade culture in New York City. An intimate portrait of the passionate and exceptionally diverse community at the beloved Chinatown Fair, The Lost Arcade, chronicles the evolution of arcades, while celebrating the camaraderie and history of a pop culture phenomenon.

Check out The Lost Arcade to watch the full documentary or learn more about it.

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[WATCH] The Building of a Community: a Modern Documentary on Lower East Side Culture, Activism and Community

2025-01-16T12:00:00-05:00

The Building of a Community is a documentary produced by Colectivo Piloto and the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space about activist history and community in the Lower East Side.

With its long and continuing history as a haven for immigrants, artists, musicians, poets, and political activists, the Lower East Side has been a cultural incubator since its earliest days. Ideas, movements, trends and customs that derive from either old or new world cultures, or both, emerged and radiated from here.

Check out the project page for more info on The Building of a Community.

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[VIDEO] National Geographic's "Drain the Oceans" Series Uncovers the Secrets of New York City

2024-07-03T12:00:00-04:00

In just 400 years New York has become a global powerhouse. By draining the ocean, revealing submerged shipwrecks and subterranean secrets, we explain how.

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[VIDEO] The Gilded Age: A Full PBS Documentary

2024-07-01T12:00:00-04:00

Meet the wealthy elite of the Gilded Age — and the struggling workers who challenged them. THE GILDED AGE presents a compelling and complex story of one of the most convulsive and transformative eras in American history. In the closing decades of the nineteenth century, the U.S. population doubled in the span of a single generation, national wealth expanded, and two classes rose simultaneously, separated by a gulf of experience and circumstance that was unprecedented in American life.

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[WATCH] Check Out This Great New York Times Mini-Documentary on New York City Subway Delays

2024-06-07T12:00:00-04:00

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