Multi-messenger astronomy coupling gravitational waves and light was born with the detection of the first neutron star merger, GW170817. This discovery signaled a wealth of firsts in physics and astronomy and represents only the tip of the iceberg of the discovery potential we can achieve in multi-messenger astronomy. In this talk, I will focus on two intriguing aspects of this event: the 500-day evolution across the electromagnetic spectrum, which provides unprecedented insight into the launch of relativistic material from these explosions, and the unique host galaxy environment of GW170817. I will also discuss an ongoing deep survey of the environments of short gamma-ray bursts, which serve as cosmological analogues to the local population of mergers visible to current and near-future GW detectors.