This a city with numerous galleries and museums. Always do some pre-trip research and compile your own top ten listing of 'must do' activities. For helpful links, click on the name of the museum or attraction.
American Folk Art Museum, 45 W. 53rd St. (bet. 6th and 5th Aves.). Devoted to folk art in America over the ages, the collection includes early American paintings, weather vanes, boxes, tools, samplers, advertising, handpainted furniture, and the work of many newer folk artists. Quaint, amusing, ingenious, beautiful. Incidentally, one of the best museum gift shops in New York.
American Museum of the Moving Image (in Astoria, Queens), 36th St. and 35th Ave. Movie/film lovers' paradise.
American Museum of Natural History , Central Park West @ 79th St. Dinosaurs, rocks and gems, lizards, frogs, bears, whales, stars and so much more. A favorite of children from 2 to 102.
Asia Society and Museum , 725 Park Ave. @ 70th St.. If you think you're not too interested in Asian art, check it out. You'll be hooked, promise! M A R V E L O U S!
Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture 18 West 86th Street. After you've taken in the dinosaurs and gems at the Am. Museum of Natural History, you may want a "snack" of great design. The recent exhibition of Castellani jewels at this 3-floor townhouse was a baby blockbuster. Current exhibitions details on the website.
Battery Park It is located at the bottom of Manhattan Island.
Bloomingdale's Department Store - 1000 Third Avenue ( 59th Street & Lexington Avenue ). Phone: 212-705-2000.
Broadway - Walk as much as possible along this famous street, one of the very oldest thoroughfares in the United States. Great synopsis of its history to be found on the website.
Bronx Zoo, Bronx River Pkwy at Fordham Rd. A children's magical land of all the wonderful animals they've never met.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Ave., Bklyn. Take the 2 or 3 subway to Eastern Parkway stop. Next door to the Bklyn Museum of Art, its grounds are the site of many a New York wedding. Doesn't get more lovely than this in NYC.
Brooklyn Bridge - Take the time to walk across the bridge. It doesn't take too long and provides excellent views of the city, especially at sunset. After sunset, no view of the City's lights is better. Subway 4, 5, 6 or J, M, Z trains to Chambers and Centre Sts. N.B. Very interesting web site with loads of facts and figures.
Brooklyn Museum of Art , 200 Eastern Parkway, Bklyn. (Subway same as for Brooklyn Botanic Garden) Housing one of the most extensive collections of Egyptian art in the world, outside Egypt, the BMA is quieter than most Manhattan museums, serves a delicious lunch, and is right next door to the romantic Bklyn Botanic Garden.
Carnegie Hall - 57th Street & 7th Avenue. Visit this website and take a virtual tour of this famous building.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave @ 112th St. Take 1 or 9 train to 110th St.. Couple your visit with Columbia University (4 blocks North at 116th St.). World's largest cathedral (St. Peter's Basilica is technically not a cathedral) -- awesome.
Central Park. Bounded on the South by 59th St. (SouthWest corner -- Columbus Circle and Central Park West; SouthEast corner -- 5th Ave.), running an astounding 50 blocks North to 110th St. (both East and West).
Chrysler Building - It is located at 405 Lexington Ave. Subway 4, 5, 6 to 42nd Grand Central.
Circle Line Cruises / Ferry - This site has lots of information about fares and schedules.
City Hall - It faces south to the City Hall Park. It is located in Lower Manhattan on Murray Street between Broadway and Park Row.
The Cloisters of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - located in Fort Tryon Park. A separate site of the Metropolitan devoted exclusively to European medieval art. Take the A subway to 190th St. and change for M4 bus. You will feel like you're back in time. Undisturbed peace, quiet, spirit.
Columbia University in the City of New York - 116th St. and Broadway in the Morningside Heights district. (1 or 9 subway to 116th St.). The oldest university in NY.
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institutions , 2 East 91st Street. (corner of 5th Ave.)
Dahesh Museum of Art, 212.759.0606, or info@daheshmuseum.org. The Dahesh has closed its doors at 580 Madison Ave. (bet. 56th and 57th St.). Please call for information on current exhibitions and where they are showing. The Dahesh is a small museum devoted to 19th century academic art/Orientalism.
Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Ellis Island, off the southernmost tip of Manhattan. Take the Statue of Liberty Ferry. Use the website link to search for family etc. This is one of the National Parks of the USA, more information on the national park weblink.
Empire State Building - Observation Deck on the 86th Floor - If you don't mind paying a couple bucks, purchase your tickets online. It allows to to bypass the initial long lines to get to the observation deck. Congestion alert: The ESB is probably one of New York's top attractions and the crowds at peak times can be overwhelming. The lines you see on the ground floor are actually only the beginning, as there are subsequent lines at intermediate location before you arrive at the observation deck on the 86th Floor. Try to go early or late, but if you must go midday, be prepared to spend upwards of two hours on line for a 15-30 minute circuit around the observation deck .
FDR's Hyde Park Historic Home -
FDR's Presidential Library - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Flatiron Building - New York's first and most famous skyscraper. It has a very unusual shape.
Forbes Galleries , 62 Fifth Ave. were so sad to see the Faberge eggs go. But now there is more time to view toy boats, toy soldiers, trophies, and special exhibits like Masterpieces of French Jewelry of the 20th century, and First Ladies' correspondence. Thank you, Messrs. Forbes!!
Fraunces Tavern Museum and Restaurant, 54 Pearl St. Dine where the first U.S. President did, where the Sons of Liberty cast plans for the Revolution, and where the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, and War were housed when New York was our nation's capitol. For dinner at this "oldest surviving building" in New York City, you can even make a reservation on line.
The Frick Collection on 5th Avenue is worth seeing for a two reasons. The first being that it has some great art in it and the second because it gives you an idea of living a private house on 5th Ave would have felt like. From their site: "Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), [was] one of America’s most successful coke and steel industrialists.... [He] enjoyed the art he loved before he bequeathed it to the public." (No infants, strollers, children under 10)
Grand Central Terminal ( Station ) -
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum , 1071 Fifth Ave. @ 89th St. From their site: "'The Guggenheim is arguably [Frank Lloyd] Wright's most eloquent presentation and certainly the most important building of his late career.' -- Matthew Drutt" Unfortunately, the outside is obscured because of restoration at this time; but its exhibitions go on. Pay-what-you-wish admission on Friday night. No photos inside allowed after ground floor.
International Center of Photography, 1133 Ave. of the Americas [a.k.a. 6th Ave.] at 43rd Street. For shutterbugs of all ages, styles, taste.
Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, West 46th St. & 12th Ave. (Pier 86). Will close on October 1, 2006 for renovations. Go now!
The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. @ 92nd St. One of New York's loveliest smaller museums, 3 blocks from the Guggenheim and 9 blocks from the Metropolitan, the Jewish Museum promotes the work of artists of Jewish heritage, and they are open on Mondays, when most other museums are closed. (Note: Check their website for closures for Jewish holidays, e.g., Yom Kippur, which falls this year on Monday, Oct. 2.)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza ( Broadway, between West 62nd and West 65th Streets ). Plenty of Music, Film and Arts. NYPhilharmonic, NY Opera, Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Buses M5, M7, M10, M11, M66, M104 all stop within one block of the Lincoln Center. Take #1 local train to the 66th Street station (Subway).
Lincoln Center Theatre is part of the Lincoln Center complex.
Metropolitan Museum of Art , 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd St. (along Central Park). General Information: 212-535-7710. The grand dame of New York City museums (some would say the U.S.), it would take literally weeks to view the Met's collections in their entirety. The Met is simply the best; there is no other like it. If you don't go to any other art museum, please don't miss out on this one. Knights' and kings' armor, antique musical instruments, modern/vintage/antique fashion, Chippendale chests; Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Buddhist, and Hindu icons and sculpture; ancient, byzantine, medieval wonders; Old Masters, photography old and new; Impressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Abstract Impressionism and all manner of works from everywhere in the world in between; marble sculptures so lifelike they may follow you like Mona Lisa's eyes. Stained glass masters, including windows of Tiffany; silver, jade, gold, pearls, iron, copper and steel; Calder and Miro, John Singer Sargent, Vuillard, Bonnard, Monet and Picasso. African and Asian spiritual and ritual objects; porcelain, glass, tapestries, and a rooftop sculpture garden. Breathtaking ancient Greek jewels, Egyptian papyri, and a tiny room of 15th century, Italian inlaid wooden panelling replicated in the "Studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio." Tours and audio-tours in many foreign languages; several restaurants; hands-on children's programs; wheelchair accessible. Utterly the finest gift shop in New York, no matter the size of your budget. If you have not yet fallen in love, go to the Met. It will sweep you off of your feet. Suggested admission: $20, admission is mandatory for everyone, but you pay what you want. Price is only a suggestion.
Municipal Art Society-Urban Center , 457 Madison Ave. near E. 51st St. (enter through gates, head left). If architecture and/or urban planning are the love of your life, MAS welcomes you home. One of the premier societies in NYC responsible for the preservation and promulgation of great architecture, MAS offers exhibits, tours, classes, and a wonderful bookstore/gift shop.
The Museum of Modern Art or MoMA as it better known has to be one of the best museums in the world. It is possible to spend hours and hours in this museum. If you only plan to see one or two museums in New York MoMA should be on your list. Impressive collections included Picasso, Warhol, Renoir, Van Gogh, Miro, Rembrandt and others. Free admission on Friday night (4-8pm) as audio tour.
National Museum of the American Indian, The George Gustav Heye Center, Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, One Bowling Green.
National Parks - New York City ( Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty etc )
New York City ( NYC ) - Welcome to the official New York City website.
The New York City Explorer Pass is a credit-card sized pass loaded with admissions to New York City attractions like Top of the Rock, NBC Studio Tours, Hop on Hop of Water Taxi Tours, Museums, Habour cruises, etc. 15 New York City atrractions are included with the card, but then visitors are free to purchase a Choose 5 or Choose 3 pass depending on the time alloted to them for sightseeing during their visit. Thought these cards aren't for every visitor, you can save money on things to do. Fortunately, unlike similar attraction passes-- you do have 30 days to use it which makes it a good buy for visitors in town for a few days or maybe new residents to the city. A guidebook comes with the Explorer Pass which is not only is loaded with free admission but special discounts for other tours & restaurants throughout the city.
New York Philharmonic Orchestra -
Onassis Cultural Center museum , in Olympic Tower (Fifth Avenue/enter on 51st or 52nd Street). A delightful, intimate museum founded by Mr. Aristotle Onassis to honor his son, Alexander, who died in a plane crash. This gem is devoted to Greek historical and cultural objects of all kinds, with a very interesting gift shop (reproduction ancient Greek jewels, reliefs, small sculptures, books, native Greek music CDs) to match; shop at www.hellenicmuseumsshop.com
Public Library ( NYPL ) Famous Building & Historic Reading Room
St Patrick's Cathedral, 14 East 51st St. at Fifth Ave. (catercorner from Rockefeller Center).
The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place. Located in New York City, the world's first and foremost vertical metropolis,
The Skyscraper Museum celebrates the City's rich architectural heritage
and examines the historical forces and individuals that have shaped its
successive skylines. Through exhibitions, programs and publications, the
Museum explores tall buildings as objects of design, products of technology,
sites of construction, investments in real estate, and places of work and
residence.
SoHo (a.k.a. "South of Houston"), one of NYC's oldest neighborhoods, vibrant with energy, art, fashion, great food. Perfect for a Sunday stroll.
Staten Island Ferry. Best & cheapest ferry ride in the whole USA. Free. Gives breathtaking views of Statue of Liberty and NY skyline.
Statue of Liberty. Bring your tired, your poor...She's beautiful. Merci beau coup, France! www.circlelineferry.com for ferry schedule and fares.
Stock Exchange ( NYSE - New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street )
Semi-Circle Cruise of Manhattan Island follows the Hudson, cruises around the Battery and continues up the East River, past the South Street Seaport and under the Brooklyn Bridge. This is a good way to orient yourself in Manhattan.
Temple Emanu-El ( 1 East 65th St.). The largest Jewish house of worship in the world.
Times Square. Visit the local Visitor's Centre to get discounted tickets, maps and every sort of information for free. E-mail stations available sponsored by Yahoo. For up to the minute information about what's happening, visit the website.
Travel Information Bureau - is a 24hour a day telephone service available on 718-330-1234
Tribeca (a.k.a. "Triangle Beneath Canal"), formerly industrial, currently HOT! with great restaurants, shops, people to watch.
Trinity Church - St Paul's Chapel - Wall Street
United Nations Headquarters ( First Avenue with 46th St ). Subway: number 4,5,6 or 7 trains to Grand Central Station; walk on 42nd Street to First Avenue. Buses: M15, M27, M42, or M104. Guided tours provided. For detailed directions, times and prices, visit the UN Tours site or telephone +1 212 963 7713.
Wall Street Financial Centre. At the end of Broadway Ave, you can check the Bowling Green, where a very popular "Charging Bull " sculpture awaits tourists. This site will provide some historical information.
World Trade Center This website will provide plenty of (historical) information about these famous buildings.
World Trade Centre Site. Also called Ground Zero. Meanwhile, there is a photo exhibition, close to PATH station entrance.