New York City On My Mind

Toward and Into Midtown

The Flatiron District (the triangle-shaped building is the first clue that you’ve arrived) has been put on the map thanks to Madison Square Park. Its popular playground for the pint-sized set provides a perfect respite from walking. And Union Square has given roots to the Greenmarket where New Yorkers, even out-of-towners, come to shop for fresh, organic produce.

Chelsea is the new SoHo with many art galleries relocating here. But sports enthusiasts will be more interested in playing golf, ice-skating or shooting hoops at the 30-acre Chelsea Piers Sports Complex.

• New York's Museum of Modern Art.
• Simon Ho

Begin your Midtown exploration at the top of the Empire State Building; the views of the city and beyond from the 86th or 102nd floors are romantic and thrilling and open until 2 a.m. Check out the formidable New York Public Library (there are free children’s workshops and storytelling hours), then stroll to the Library’s French-inspired backyard, Bryant Park. In warm months, the park is home to an outdoor lending library/reading room, Le Carrousel and several eateries. Bonus: Movie and sporting events are shown on a giant screen here.

Next up: Times Square for theater, dining, shopping, massive crowds and daily street entertainment. A bit north is the incomparable Museum of Modern Art, and there’s a new view in town from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, located at Rockefeller Center—gaze out at the City from the open-air terrace or enclosed deck. If you’re in town during the holidays, you can skate beneath the towering Christmas tree at the Rink at Rockefeller Center. Rental skates cost $8, and the adult price varies from $10 to $14 (children under 11 and seniors pay $7.50 to $8.50), depending on how close to the holidays you go, but it’s worth it to skate at this famous locale.

• Central Park’s Bethesda foundation has been featured in many films set in New York over the years.
• KC

The Uptown Life

Central Park is New York’s pride and joy, a playground for the old and young, rich and poor. The reasonably priced Central Park Wildlife Center and Zoo is a must for families, as is a whirl on the carousel. In the summer, stock up on gourmet goodies at Zabar’s and picnic on the Great Lawn here while enjoying a free evening concert by the New York Philharmonic or Metropolitan Opera. A horse carriage ride through the park is a venerable favorite.

The Upper East Side is museum central. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the City’s largest museum, is a city within itself; kids love the Temple of Dendur exhibit in the Egyptian wing, and children under 16 always get in free. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Whitney Museum of American Art are where you can admire Picasso and Lichenstein, respectively. Way uptown, the Museum of the City of New York is worth a visit; The Glory Days baseball exhibit runs until year’s end. Tip: Museum lovers of all ages will want to visit New York in June for the Museum Mile Festival when Fifth Avenue is closed off to traffic and many of the museums are free to visitors.

• The Cloisters is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is exclusively dedicated to the art and architecture of the European Middle Ages.
• N_Creatures

Kids across the age spectrum love the 94-foot-long-model blue whale that is suspended from the ceiling at The American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. The museum is also home to the Hayden Planetarium Space Center and the Rose Center for Earth and Space where you can enjoy Starry Nights with Live Jazz on Friday nights (wine, beverages and tapas, too). There are a variety of ticket options at the museum, but general admission is $19 for adults and $12.50 for children.

Farther north, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights is a stunning piece of architecture. And you can do soul-searching of another sort farther north in Harlem, home to hip-hop and fabulous soul food. Finally, visit the Cloisters in Washington Heights to appreciate art and architecture of medieval Europe housed in a replica of a medieval monastery.