Recently, V+P secured one of more than 25,000 “Keys to the City,” part of a citywide public art project by local artist Paul Ramirez Jonas. Our key came with a little book detailing dozens of spots normally reserved for authorized personnel only. The keys promise to unlock secret boxes, rooms and gates at each spot, offering a little-known slice of New York.

We carefully plotted our course, chose a single day (July 13,) and set out to conquer 5 spots in 3 boroughs in 8 hours.

Esther, Nicole, Margaux, Josh and I got a steamy start yesterday morning, meeting in Columbus Circle for the trip up to the George Washington Bridge.

A view from the bridge.

It was hot, hazy and humid but the walk across the bridge was gorgeous, and a cool breeze kept us going as we searched for a lock on the “third gate.”

Searching very, very hard.

We got all the way across without finding the gate, so some helpful bridge people on the New Jersey side came over to see why we were sticking our key into all the locks we came across.

We were told to walk 10 minutes further into New Jersey and then do...something. At which point we gave up and turned around.

They were very nice, but not much help, so we headed back toward New York. We finally came across what we figured out was the third gate. Unfortunately, the lock had been cut off. So, stop #1 provided a thrilling experience, but no secret spot to unlock.

Someone spoiled the surprise for the rest of us!

We hopped on the C train for a quick trip to The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, which is, according to a pamphlet we picked up,the largest cathedral in the world.

The Cathedral is simply Divine.

We stopped just outside the cathedral for a look at the children’s sculpture garden, which boasts scores of incredible sculptures by local children, around the magnificent central Peace Fountain.

Another secret spot we discovered along the way.

We were completely enchanted by the tiny sculptures.

So whimsical it's almost magical.

How can you not fall in love?

Saint John the Divine is no slouch either. The Cathedral boasts gorgeous stained glass windows and soaring ceilings, and the interior is peaceful, cool and dark.

Take a seat at the table and watch as an exotic meal is consumed before your eyes in this multimedia exhibit, "In Other People's Skins."

This time, our key worked, unlocking the Cathedral’s baptistry. Very cool, but we were more impressed by multimedia exhibit by UK artist Terry Flaxton, titled “In Other People’s Skins,” and a surprising white gold triptych by the late, great Keith Haring.

Bonus discovery- a golden Haring masterpiece.

From there, we zipped over to Brooklyn to unlock a secret in the Brooklyn Museum.

Another New York first- our own subway car!

Double disappointment ensued when the heavens let loose, and we ran up to the museum, thoroughly drenched, only to discover that it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

We tried everything, but they wouldn't let us in.

We consoled ourselves with a delicious lunch at Press 195, and a visit to our friends at Novita Communications, who helped us celebrate Josh’s birthday in style.

Like everyone at V+P, Josh is 21+.

Next stop: Queens. The world’s best car service driver ever, Pete, took us on the nearly hour-long, 2-mile trip to Louis Armstrong’s house in Corona.

Margaux and Pete formed an especially strong bond.

Our many GPS systems refused to recognize the address, and we circled the block, now delirious, several times before we finally found it.

Satchmo's house is hard to find, but worth it.

Here’s the thing. We missed the 4 p.m. tour, which made us laugh so hard we almost lost control. Yet it was convenient because we still were able to unlock the secret door, which led to — get this– Louis Armstrong’s powder room.

Look closely, for a NSFW photo of Louis.

It turns out this is particularly significant, as Louis was a huge proponent of Swiss Kriss Laxatives. He handed them out to friends, family, and fans.

They sell Swiss Kriss in the gift shop, so we brought some back for the rest of the office. The best souvenir ever.

We had planned on finishing the grand tour with a trip to Eddie’s Sweet Shop for ice cream and yet another surprise, but frankly, we were tired. So Pete took us home.

All in all, it was a perfect day. We liked it so much, we might try a few more secret stops during lunchtime this summer.