New_York_City_2012_-_Fodor_39_s

restored the 1913 landmark to its original splendor—and then some.

The Municipal Art Society (212/935–3960 | www.mas.org) leads architectural tours of the terminal that begin here on Wednesday at 12:30. Reservations are not required, and a $10 donation is suggested. Meet at the information booth, Main Concourse. | Main entrance,E. 42nd St. at Park Ave., Midtown East | 10017 | 212/935–3960 | www.grandcentralterminal.com | Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7, S to 42nd St./Grand Central.

See also Eat and Shop Around Grand Central.

Radio City Music Hall.

This icon of New York City was built to enchant everyone who stepped inside its doors. Shortly after the stock market crash of 1929, John D. Rockefeller wanted to create a symbol of hope in what was a sad, broke city. He selected a piece of real estate in an area of Manhattan then known as “the speakeasy belt,” and partnered with the Radio Corporation of America to build a grand theater, a place where everyday people could see the finest entertainment at sensible prices.

Every inch of the interior was designed to be extraordinary. RCA head David Sarnoff named their creation Radio City Music Hall. When it opened, some said it was so grand that there was no need for performances, because people would get more than their money’s worth simply by sitting there and enjoying the space. Early shows included vaudeville acts and film premieres.

Despite being the largest indoor theater in the world with its city-block-long marquee, it feels warm and intimate. Onehour walking tours run year-round, but avoid taking the tour during show times, as access is limited. Day-of tickets are sold at the Radio City Avenue Store on a first-come, firstserved basis; advanced tickets are available by phone. |

Radio City Music Hall “Stage Door Tour” $17 | 212/247– 4777 | Tours Mon.–Sat. 11:30–6.

Although there are concert performances and media events here year-round, most people (more than a million visitors every year, in fact) want to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the iconic Rockettes. Make reservations as early as possible, especially if you want to attend near the Christmas holidays or on weekends. The shows tend to sell out, but you can usually find tickets until mid-October. Happily, there are no bad seats at Radio City Music Hall, so if you are booking late, grab what you can get. Tickets—$45–$105 per person for the 90-minute show —can be purchased at the Radio City Music Hall; on the Web (www.radiocitychristmas.com); by phone on the Christmas Spectacular hot line (866/858–0007); or at Ticketmaster. | 1260 6th Ave., at W. 51st St., Midtown West | 10020 | 800/745–3000 | www.radiocity.com | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th St./Rockefeller Center; N, R to 49th St.

Previous | Next Map | NYC Maps Contents

Rockefeller Center.

If Times Square is New York’s crossroads, Rockefeller Center is its communal gathering place, where the entire world converges to snap pictures, skate on the ice rink, peek in on a taping of the Today show (or—with luck— NBC’s 30 Rock), shop, eat, and take in the monumental Art Deco structures and public sculptures from the past century.

Totaling more than 75 shops and 40 eateries (1.4 million square feet in all), the complex runs from 47th to 52nd streets between 5th and 7th avenues. Special events and huge pieces of art dominate the central plazas in summer.

In December an enormous twinkling tree towers above the ice-skating rink, causing huge crowds of visitors from across the country and the globe to shuffle through with necks craned and cameras flashing. This holiday tradition

began in 1931, when workers clearing away the rubble for Rockefeller Center erected a 20-foot-tall balsam. It was two years into the Great Depression, and the 4,000 men employed at the site were grateful to finally be away from the unemployment lines. The first official tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933. Visit www.rockefellercenter.com for more information.

At the complex’s center is the sunken Lower Plaza, site of the world’s most famous ice-skating rink October through April (it’s a café in summer). Skaters swoop or stumble across the ice while crowds gather above on the Esplanade to watch the spins and spills.

Hovering above, the gold-leaf statue of the fire-stealing Greek hero Prometheus—Rockefeller Center’s most famous sculpture—forms the backdrop to zillions of photos. Carved into the wall behind it, a quotation from Aeschylus reads “Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends.”

The Lower Plaza provides access to the marble-lined corridors underneath Rockefeller Center, which house restaurants (everything from the high-end Sea Grill to pizza parlors), a post office, and clean public restrooms—a rarity in Midtown. | Between 5th and 6th Aves. and W. 49th and W. 50th Sts., Midtown West | 10020 | 212/332–7654 for the rink | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center.

Rising up on the Lower Plaza’s west side is the 70-story (850-foot-tall) Art Deco GE Building (212/332–6868), a testament to modern urban development. Here Rockefeller commissioned and then destroyed a mural by Diego Rivera upon learning that it featured Vladimir Lenin. He replaced it with the monumental American Progress by José María Sert, still on view in the lobby, flanked by additional murals by Sert and English artist Frank Brangwyn.

While in the lobby, pick up a free “Rockefeller Center Visitor’s Guide” at the information desk. Up on the 65th floor sits the now shuttered Rainbow Room, a glittering big-band ballroom from 1934 through 2009.

The GE Building also houses NBC Studios, whose news tapings, visible at street level, attract gawking crowds. For ticket information for NBC shows or the 70-minute studio tour, visit the NBC Experience Store at the building’s southeast corner. | 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 5th and 6th Aves. at 49th St., Midtown West | 10020 | 212/664– 7174 | www.nbcstudiotour.com | NBC Studio Tour $18.50 | Children under 6 not permitted | Tours depart every 30 mins Mon.–Sat. 8:30–5:30, Sun. 9:30–4:30 | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center.

See also Art in Rockefeller Center.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

This Gothic edifice—the largest Catholic cathedral in the United States, seating approximately 2,400 people—is among the city’s most striking churches, with its double spires topping out at 330 feet. St. Pat’s, as locals call it, holds a special place in the hearts of many New Yorkers and Catholics around the country and indeed the world, receiving more than 3 million visitors annually. Its widely broadcast midnight Mass at Christmas has become somewhat of a social event for politicians and celebrities, yet tickets are always made available to the general public months in advance.

The church dates back to 1858–79. Among the statues in the alcoves around the nave is a modern depiction of the first American-born saint, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, and its pietà is three times larger than the pietà in St. Peter’s in Rome. Its rose window by Charles Connick is considered to be the stained-glass artist’s greatest work. The 5th Avenue steps are a convenient, scenic rendezvous spot. Sunday Masses can overflow with tourists; off-hours are significantly more peaceful. Many of the funerals for fallen New York City police and firefighters after 9/11 were held here. | 5th Ave. between E. 50th and E. 51st Sts., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/753–2261 rectory | www.nyarchdiocese.org | Daily 6:30 am–8 pm | Subway: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

Times Square.

Hands down, this is the most frenetic part of New York City, a cacophony of flashing lights and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that many New Yorkers studiously avoid. Originally named after the New York Times (whose headquarters have relocated nearby), the area has seen many changes since the first subway line opened in 1904 with a 42nd street station. You won't find speakeasies and unsavory clubs but a family-friendly destination with a pedestrianized stretch of Broadway and stadium seating behind discount theater ticket seller TKTS—all under the glare of brand names like Mtv and M&Ms. While the focus of the entertainment may have shifted over the years, it's still the heart of New York's theatre scene with 40 Broadway theaters nearby. If you like sensory overload, the chaotic mix of huge underwear billboards, flashing digital displays, on-location television broadcasts, and outré street performers it will give you your fix.

After its $1.8 million renovation, Times Square Visitor Center is a savvy place to take shelter and get your bearings when the crowds start to overwhelm you. On display are a past New Year’s Eve ball and a New Year’s Eve "Wishing Wall," where you can write on confetti that will become one of the actual pieces to flutter down at midnight on January 1. You can also take a free walking tour of Times Square, and watch a video on Times Square’s unsavory past in a mock-peep booth. Stop by for multilingual kiosks, MetroCards, a peek in the gift shop, sightseeing and theater tickets, and (most important!) free restrooms. | 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th Sts., Midtown West | 10036 | 212/869–1890 | www.timessquarenyc.org | Times Square Exposé tour, free | Tours leave Fri. at noon from the Visitor Center | | Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to 42nd St./Times Sq.

Top of the Rock.

Rockefeller Center’s multifloor observation deck, first opened in 1933 and closed in the early 1980s, reopened in 2005 to be embraced by visitors and locals alike. Arriving just before sunset affords a view of the city that morphs before your eyes into a dazzling wash of colors, with a bird’s-eye view of the tops of the Empire State Building, the Citicorp Building, and the Chrysler Building, and sweeping views northward to Central Park and south to the Statue of Liberty.

Transparent elevators lift you to the 67th-floor interior viewing area, and then an escalator leads to the outdoor deck on the 69th floor for sightseeing through nonreflective glass safety panels. Then, take another elevator or stairs to the 70th floor for a 360-degree outdoor panorama of New York City on a deck that is only 20 feet wide and nearly 200 feet long.

Reserved-time ticketing eliminates long lines. Indoor exhibits include films of Rockefeller Center’s history and a model of the building. Especially interesting is a Plexiglas screen on the floor with footage showing Rock Center construction workers dangling on beams high above the streets; the brave can even “walk” across a beam to get a sense of what it might have been like to erect this skyscraper. TIP The local consensus is that the views from the Top of the Rock are better than those from the Empire State Building, in part because the Empire State is part of the skyline here. | Entrance on 50th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10020 | 877/692–7625 or 212/698–2000 | www.topoftherocknyc.com | $21 adult | children under 6 not admitted | Daily 8–midnight; last elevator at 11 pm | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center.

WORTH NOTING

Daily News Building.

One of the city’s most unusual lobbies resides in Raymond Hood’s Art Deco and modernist tower. An illuminated 12foot globe revolves beneath a black glass dome. Around it, spreading across the floor like a giant compass and literally positioning New York at the center of the world, bronze lines indicate mileage to various international destinations. The Daily News, however, hasn’t called this building home since the mid-1990s, 15 years after it played the offices of the fictional newspaper the Daily Planet in the original Superman movie. | 220 E. 42nd St., between 2nd and 3rd Aves., Midtown East | 10017 | Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7, S to 42nd St./Grand Central.

Helmsley Building.

“With its outline and decoration, it was able to indicate clearly its relationship to the height of a man,” wrote Nathan Silver in his 1967 book Lost in NewYork, “and so was like an enormous measuring-rod, and from miles off along Park Avenue the dimensions of half a city could be perceived.” This Warren & Wetmore–designed 1929 landmark was intended to match neighboring Grand Central Station in bearing, and it succeeded, with a gold-and-copper-roof topped with an enormous lantern (originally housing a 6,000-watt light) and distinctive dual archways for traffic on Park Avenue.

But its history turns quirky: When the millionaire real estate investor Harry Helmsley purchased the building in 1977, he changed its name from the New York Central Building to the New York General Building in order to save money by replacing only two letters in the facade. Only later did he rename it after himself. During a renovation the following year, however, he went so far as to gild the building, applying gold paint even to limestone and bronze (it was later removed by a succeeding owner).

However, in September 2010, after a $100 million renovation, the Helmsley Building became the first prewar office tower to receive LEED Gold certification for energy efficiency. Despite being blocked from view from the south by the MetLife Building (originally, the Pan Am Building), the Helmsley Building remains a defining—and now “green,” as opposed to gold—feature of one of the world’s most lavish avenues. | 230 Park Ave.,between 45th and 46th Sts., Midtown East | 10017 | Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7, S to 42nd St./Grand Central.

Madame Tussaud’s New York.

Sit in the Oval Office with President Obama, sing along with an American Idol, party in the V.I.P. room with the Jonas Brothers and Paris Hilton, or forecast tomorrow’s weather with Al Roker. Much of the fun here comes from the photo opportunities—you’re encouraged to pose with and touch the nearly 200 realistic replicas of the famous and infamous (disposable cameras are for sale).

But there’s more to do here than just pal around with the waxworks. Interactive options include a karaoke café, a celebrity walk down the red carpet, and a haunted town, the latter populated with both wax figures and real people. | 234 W. 42nd St., between 7th and 8th Aves., Midtown West | 10036 | 212/512–9600 | www.madame-tussauds.com | 35.50 | Sun.–Thurs. 10–8, weekends 10–10 | Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, R, S to 42nd St.

New York Public Library (NYPL) Humanities and Social Sciences Library.

The “Library with the Lions” in 2011 celebrated its centennial as a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts design and one of the great research institutions in the world, with more than 6 million books, 12 million manuscripts, and 3 million pictures.

But you don’t have to crack a book to make it worth visiting: an hour or so at this National Historic Landmark is a peaceful (and free!) alternative to Midtown’s bustle, along with some pretty incredible architecture, especially when combined with a stroll through adjacent Bryant Park. Buy a drink at a park kiosk, and then head to the library’s grand 5th Avenue entrance to people-watch from the block-long marble staircase and check out the opulent interior.

The library’s bronze front doors open into Astor Hall, which leads to several special exhibit galleries and, to the left, a stunning periodicals room with wall paintings of New York publishing houses. Walk up the sweeping double staircase to a second-floor balconied corridor overlooking the hall, with panels highlighting the library’s development.

Make sure to continue up to the magisterial Rose Main Reading Room—297 feet long (almost two full north– south city blocks), 78 feet wide, and just over 51 feet high; walk through to best appreciate the rows of oak tables and the extraordinary ceiling of this space.

Several additional third-floor galleries show rotating exhibits on print and photography (past exhibits have included old New York restaurant menus and a 1455 Gutenberg Bible). Free one-hour tours leave Monday– Saturday at 11 and 2, and Sunday at 2 from Astor Hall. Women’s bathrooms are on the ground floor and third floor, and there’s a men’s bathroom on the third floor. | 5th Ave. between E. 40th and E. 42nd Sts., Midtown West | 10018 | 212/930–0800 for exhibit information | www.nypl.org | Mon. and Thurs.–Sat. 10–6, Sun. 1–5, Tues. and Wed. 10–8; exhibitions until 6 | Subway: B, D, F, M to 42nd St.; 7 to 5th Ave.

New York Times Building.

This Renzo Piano–designed testament to clean-lined modernism is perhaps most famous for two visitors it received on June 5, 2008, both of whom climbed straight to the top but didn’t take the stairs—or even set foot inside— to do so.

The first to grab the 52-story building’s distinctive, ladderlike ceramic rods without using ropes or harnesses was Alain Robert, a then-46-year-old stuntman who had previously climbed the Sydney Opera House and Eiffel Tower, among other architectural icons. Upon reaching the top, he unfurled a banner warning against global warming. Hours later, a Brooklyn man made the same climb, later claiming his intention was to raise awareness of the dangers of malaria, and replying “no” to the question of whether he was a copycat. Both men were arrested.

The architect extended the ceramic rods beyond the top of the building so that it would give the impression of dissolving into the sky. Escape congested streets in the building’s lobby atrium, which includes an open-air moss garden with 50-foot paper birch trees and a wooden footbridge, a 560-screen media art installation titled Moveable Type streaming a mix of the newspaper’s nearreal time and archival content, and a flagship store by minimalist home goods designer MUJI. Plus, you never know which famous journalists you’ll spy. Unfortunately, tours are not offered. | 620 8th Ave., between 40th and 41st Sts., Midtown West | 212/556–1234 | Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St.; 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to 42nd St./Times Sq.

The Plaza Hotel.

With two sides of Central Park and 5th Avenue at its doorstep, this world-famous 19-story 1907 building claims one of Manhattan’s prize real-estate corners. Henry Hardenbergh, who built the Dakota on Central Park West, here concocted a birthday-cake effect of highly ornamented white-glazed brick topped with a copper-and-slate French mansard roof.

The original hotel was home to Eloise, the fictional star of Kay Thompson’s children’s books, and has appeared in

many movies, including Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, Plaza Suite, and Home Alone 2.

After a $400 million renovation, the Plaza reopened in early 2008. The legendary Oak Room, Oak Bar, and Grand Ballroom are all back, as are new high-end shops (including an Eloise-themed mecca), an upscale dining court by celebrity chef Todd English, luxury hotel rooms, and condo hotel units. | 5th Ave. at W. 59th St., Midtown West | 10019 | 212/759–3000 | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave./59th St.

St. Bartholomew’s Church.

Known to locals as St. Bart’s, this handsome 1919 limestone-and-salmon-color brick church represents a generation of Midtown Park Avenue buildings long since replaced by modernist behemoths and contemporary glass-and-steel towers.

It’s a pleasant surprise to stumble upon its triple-arched Romanesque portal and see the intricately tiled Byzantine dome set against the skyscrapers, and then have a bite at its popular outdoor café open in good weather.

St. Bart’s also sponsors major music events throughout the year, including the summer’s Festival of Sacred Music, with full-length masses and other choral works; an annual Christmas concert; and an occasional organ recital series that showcases the church’s 12,422-pipe organ, the city’s largest. The church has been associated with VIPs in many capacities, including weddings. | 325 Park Ave., at 51st St., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/378–0222, 212/378–0248 for concert information | www.stbarts.org | Free | Tours leave Sun. after services (around 12:15) | Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., and Sat. 9–6, Sun. 7:45–6, Wed. 9–8:30 | Subway: 6 to 51st St./Lexington Ave.; E, M to Lexington– 3rd Aves./53rd St.

Seagram Building.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a pioneer of modern architecture, built this boxlike bronze-and-glass tower in 1958. The austere facade belies its wit: I-beams, used to hold buildings up, here are merely attached to the surface, representing the idea of support. The Seagram Building’s innovative ground-level plaza, extending out to the sidewalk, has since become a common element in urban skyscraper design. | 375 Park Ave., between E. 52nd and E. 53rd Sts., Midtown East | 10022 | Subway: 6 to 51st St./Lexington Ave.; E, M to Lexington–3rd Aves./53rd St.

Sony Building.

Designed by Philip Johnson in 1984, the Sony Building’s rose-granite columns and its giant-size Chippendale-style pediment made the skyscraper an instant landmark. The first-floor public arcade includes electronics stores, an upscale kosher restaurant, a café, and an atrium filled with people playing chess.

Have kids in tow? The free Sony Wonder Technology Lab (212/833–8100, 212/833–7875 for week-of screening reservations | www.sonywondertechlab.com | Tues.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. noon–5; last entrance 30 mins before closing) in the Sony Building lets them program robots, create movie trailers, perform virtual heart surgery, and work as a team to produce a high-definition news broadcast. The lab also shows classic and contemporary films for both young and adult audiences in its 73-seat HD theater. Admission is free, but call at least seven days ahead for reservations, as it’s very popular. | 550 Madison Ave., between E. 55th and E. 56th Sts., Midtown East | 10022 | Daily 7 am–11 pm | Subway: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

Trump Tower.

The tallest all-glass building in Manhattan when it was completed in 1983, this skyscraper’s ostentatious atrium flaunts that decade’s unbridled luxury, with expensive boutiques and gaudy brass everywhere. One half expects the pleasant-sounding waterfall streaming down to the lower-level food court to flow with champagne. Half-price specialty cocktails 5–7 pm weeknights at the cozy, burgundy-tented Trump Bar are a consolation.

If you can see past the glitz, you’ll find the building connects not only to Niketown but also to 590 Atrium, a pleasant, glass-enclosed space with tables, chairs, and an Italian café counter selling coffee, panini, and the like. | 725 5th Ave. at E. 56th St., Midtown West | 10022 | 212/832–2000 | www.trump.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave./59th St.

Tudor City.

Before Donald Trump, there was Fred F. French. In 1925 the prominent real-estate developer became one of the first to buy up a large number of separate buildings—more than 100, in fact, most of them tenements—and join their properties into a single new development.

He designed a collection of nine apartment buildings and two parks in the “garden city” mode, which placed a building’s green space not in an enclosed courtyard but in the foreground. French also elevated the entire development 70 feet (40 stone steps) above the river and built a 39-by-50-foot “Tudor City” sign atop one of the 22story buildings. The development’s residential towers opened between 1927 and 1930, borrowing a marketable

air of sophistication from Tudor-style stonework, stainedglass windows, and lobby design flourishes.

An official city landmark, Tudor City has featured in numerous films, including all three Spider-Man movies, and its gardens remain a popular lunch spot among office workers. The street overpass on Tudor Place (its main drag) offers a unique view straight down 42nd Street, made even better when the sun sets directly over the street on May 28 and July 12 or 13 each year. Brian K. Thompson, a local real-estate agent and historian, leads private 45minute architecture, finance, and real-estate history tours of the development; email him for details (Tudor City tour $10

| briankthompson@yahoo.com). | Between 41st and 43rd Sts and 1st and 2nd Aves., Midtown East | 10017 | Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7, S to 42nd St./Grand Central.

United Nations Headquarters.

Officially an “international zone” and not part of the United States, the U.N. Headquarters is a working symbol of global cooperation. Built between 1947 and 1961, the headquarters sit on a lushly landscaped, 18-acre tract on the East River, fronted by flags of member nations.

The main reason to visit is the 45-minute guided tour (given in 20 languages), which includes the General Assembly and major council chambers, though some rooms may be closed on any given day. The tour includes displays on war, peacekeeping, nuclear nonproliferation, human rights, and refugees, and passes corridors overflowing with imaginatively diverse artwork.

Free tickets to assemblies are sometimes available on a first-come, first-served basis before sessions begin; pick them up in the General Assembly lobby. If you just want to wander around, the grounds include a beautiful riverside promenade, a rose garden with 1,400 specimens, and sculptures donated by member nations.

The complex’s buildings (the slim, 505-foot-tall green-glass

Secretariat Building; the much smaller, domed General Assembly Building; and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library) evoke the influential French modernist Le Corbusier (who was on the team of architects that designed the complex), and the surrounding park and plaza remain visionary. The public concourse, beneath the visitor entrance, has a coffee shop, gift shops, a bookstore, and a post office where you can mail letters with U.N. stamps. |

Visitor entrance,1st Ave. at E. 46th St., Midtown East | 10017 | 212/963–8687 | www.un.org | Tour $12.50 | Children under 5 not admitted | Tours weekdays 9:30–4:45; tours in English leave General Assembly lobby every 30 mins; for other languages, call | 212/963–7539 on the day of your visit | Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7, S to 42nd St./Grand Central.

University Club.

Among the best surviving works of McKim, Mead & White, New York’s leading turn-of-the-20th-century architects, this 1899 pink Milford granite palace was built for an exclusive club of degree-holding men. (The crests of various prestigious universities are engraved into the facade above its windows.)

The club’s popularity declined as individual universities built their own clubs and as gentlemen’s clubs became less important to the New York social scene. Still, the nine-story Italian High Renaissance Revival building (the facade looks as though it’s three stories) stands out, grand as ever, among the shiny 5th Avenue shops. | 1 W. 54th St., at 5th Ave., Midtown West | 10019 | Subway: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

GALLERIES

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art.

This gallery concentrates on contemporary and 20thcentury American artists from Whistler to Herman Cherry, Byron Brown, and David Aronson, and specializes in the New York School. | 41 E. 57th St., 11th fl., at Madison Ave., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/486–7660 | www.davidfindlayjr.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

Edwynn Houk.

The impressive stable of 20th-century photographers here includes Sally Mann, Robert Polidori, and Elliott Erwitt. The gallery also has prints by masters Edward Weston and Alfred Stieglitz. | 745 5th Ave., between E. 57th and E. 58th Sts., Midtown East | 10151 | 212/750–7070 | www.houkgallery.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

Greenberg Van Doren.

This gallery exhibits the works of young artists as well as retrospectives of established masters. You can purchase works here by Georgia O’Keeffe, Ed Ruscha, and Richard Diebenkorn, among others. | 730 5th Ave., at E. 57th St., 7th fl., Midtown East | 10019 | 212/445–0444 | www.gvdgallery.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

Hirschl & Adler.

Although this gallery has a selection of European works, it’s best known for its American paintings, prints, and decorative arts. The celebrated 19thand 20th-century artists whose works are featured include Stuart Davis,

Childe Hassam, Camille Pissarro, and John Singleton Copley. | 730 5th Aveat W. 57th St., 4th fl., Midtown East | 10019 | 212/535–8810 | www.hirschlandadler.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave. St./Hunter College.

Marian Goodman.

The excellent contemporary art here includes Jeff Wall’s staged photographs presented on light boxes, South African artist William Kentridge’s video animations, and Gerhard Richter’s paintings. | 24 W. 57th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10019 | 212/977–7160 | www.mariangoodman.com | Subway: F to 57th St.

Marlborough.

With its latest branch in Chelsea, Marlborough has raised its global visibility yet another notch. The gallery represents modern artists such as Claudio Bravo, Magdalena Abakanowicz, and photorealist Richard Estes. Look for sculptures by Tom Otterness—his whimsical bronzes are found in several subway stations. | 40 W. 57th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10019 | 212/541–4900 | www.marlboroughgallery.com | Subway: F to 57th St.

Pace Wildenstein.

The giant gallery—now in Chelsea as well—focuses on such modern and contemporary painters as Julian Schnabel, Mark Rothko, and New York School painter Ad Reinhardt. | 32 E. 57th St., between Park and Madison Aves., 2nd fl., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/421–3292 | www.thepacegallery.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

Peter Findlay.

Covering 19thand 20th-century works by European artists, this gallery shows pieces by Mary Cassatt, Paul Klee, and Alberto Giacometti. | 16 E. 79th St., 2nd fl. Midtown East | 10075 | 212/644–4433 | www.findlay.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

Spanierman.

This venerable gallery deals in 19thand early-20th-century American painting and sculpture. Their inventory list and scholarship is amazing, and they frequently sell to museums looking to broaden their own collections. Nextdoor, Spanierman Modern (www.spaniermanmodern.com) represents contemporary artists such as Dan Christensen and Frank Bowling. | 45 E. 58th St., between Park and Madison Aves., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/832–0208 | www.spanierman.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

Tibor de Nagy.

Founded in 1950, this gallery shows work by 20th-century artists such as Biala, Nell Blaine, Jane Freilicher, and Shirley Jaffee. Instrumental in bringing many of America’s finest abstract expressionist artists to public attention in the mid-20th century, the gallery now shows abstract and realistic work. It’s open Tuesday–Saturday, closed weekends June through mid-August, and closes up completely from mid-August to Labor Day. | 724 5th Ave., between W. 56th and W. 57th Sts., Midtown West | 10019 | 212/262–5050 | www.tibordenagy.com | Subway: N, R to 5th Ave.

MIDTOWN IN DEPTH

EAT AND SHOP AROUND GRAND CENTRAL

For a great meal around Grand Central, dine at one of these go-to restaurants.

Amid the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Station is the elegant Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant (89 E. 42nd St., at Vanderbilt Ave. | 10017 | 212/490–6650 |

Closed Sun.). This sprawling space, with a tiled-vaulted ceiling, brings a sense of grandeur to a chaotic transportation hub. Famous for its architecture and décor, the Oyster Bar’s impressive raw bar (29 varieties of oysters on a typical day) and fresh seafood are the real reason customers have been returning for the past 90 years.

If you want to indulge yourself, stop at the stylish Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. (Grand Central Terminal, 23 Vanderbilt Ave. | 10017 | 212/655–2300) on the balcony of Grand Central Station. The prime dry-aged rib eye or the succulent 2½-pound lobster are reason enough to dine here. But if you don’t have time to sit for a meal, pull up a stool at the restaurant’s bustling bar and have a drink off the impressive wine list.

For lighter fare and top-notch picnic provisions, visit these eateries:

The French-style pastries at Financier Patisserie (87 E. 42nd St., in the 42nd Street Passage | 10017 | 212/973– 1010) have won it citywide acclaim; it also serves quiches, tarts, sandwiches, and light breakfast fare.

A huge international selection of cheeses as well as cooked and cured meats awaits at Murray’s Cheese

(43rd Street at Lexington Ave., center of the Grand Central Market | 10017 | 212/922–5410).

For a thoughtful gift on the go, try one of these shops:

With two locations in the terminal, Dahlia (Biltmore Passage and Lower Level dining concourse, Grand Central Terminal | 10017 | 212/697–5090) sells flowers imported directly from overseas producers (so that they last longer), as well as vases of ceramic, glass, and other materials, at reasonable prices.

The independent Posman Books (9 Grand Central Terminal, at Vanderbilt Ave. and 42nd St. | 10017 |

212/983–1111) has an outstanding selection of cheeky and serious high-quality greeting cards, as well as a great range of contemporary and classic books across genres.

ART IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER

The mosaics, murals, and sculptures that grace Rockefeller Center—many of them considered Art Deco masterpieces —were all part of the plan of John D. Rockefeller Jr. In 1932, as the steel girders on the first of the buildings were heading heavenward, Rockefeller put together a team of advisers to find artists who could make the project “as beautiful as possible.” More than 50 artists were commissioned for 200 individual works.

Some artists scoffed at the idea of decorating an office building: Picasso declined to meet with Rockefeller to discuss the project, and Matisse replied that busy business executives would not be in the “quiet and reflective state of mind” necessary to appreciate his art. Those who agreed to contribute, including muralists Diego Rivera and José María Sert, were relatively unknown at the time and not popular with the public. A group of American artists protested Rockefeller’s decision to hire these “alien” artists.

As Rockefeller Center neared completion in 1932, Rockefeller still needed a mural to grace the lobby of the main building. The industrialist’s taste dictated that the subject of the 63-by-17-foot mural was to be grandiose: “human intelligence in control of the forces of nature.” He hired Rivera for the job.

With its depiction of massive machinery moving mankind forward, Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads seemed exactly what Rockefeller wanted—until it was realized that a portrait of Soviet Premier Vladimir Lenin surrounded by red-kerchiefed workers occupied a space in the center. Rockefeller, who was building what was essentially a monument to capitalism, was less than thrilled. When Rivera was accused of willful propagandizing, the artist famously replied, “All art is propaganda.”

Rivera refused to remove the portrait. Despite negotiations to move it to the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller was determined to get rid of it. Not content to have it painted over, he ordered ax-wielding workers to chip away the entire wall.

Rockefeller ordered the mural replaced by a less offensive one by Sert. But Rivera had the last word. He re-created the mural in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, adding a portrait of Rockefeller among the champagneswilling swells ignoring the plight of the workers.

The largest of the original artworks that remained is Lee Lawrie’s 2-ton sculpture, Atlas. Its building also stirred controversy, as it was said to resemble Italy’s fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. The sculpture, depicting a muscle-bound man holding up the world, drew protests in 1936. Some even derided Paul Manship’s golden Prometheus, which soars over the ice-skating rink, when it was unveiled the same year.

Lawrie’s sculpture Wisdom, perched over the main entrance of 20 Rockefeller Plaza, is another gem. Also look for Isamu Noguchi’s stainless-steel plaque News over the entrance of the Bank of America Building at 50 Rockefeller Plaza and Attilio Piccirilli’s 2-ton glass-block panel called

Youth Leading Industry over the entrance of the International Building. René Chambellan’s bronze dolphins in the fountains of the Channel Gardens are also crowdpleasers.

Previous Chapter | Beginning of Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents