New_York_City_2012_-_Fodor_39_s
.pdfsimple but distinct itineraries: regimented hopping up and down Museum Mile; languorous gallery-grazing; windowshopping on Madison Avenue; or bar-hopping for just-out- of-college kids on 2nd Avenue. The Upper East Side’s town houses, boutiques, consignment stores, and hidden gardens are easy to miss unless you take some time to wander. If all that walking wears you out, you can always hit one of the nail salons and indulge in a neighborhood stereotype of the pampered Upper East Sider. A welldeserved post–Museum Mile foot rub and mani/pedi are surprisingly reasonably priced.
GETTING HERE
Take the Lexington Avenue 4 or 5 express trains to 59th or 86th Street. The 6 local train also stops at 59th, 68th, 77th, 86th, and 96th streets. If you’re coming from Midtown, the F train will let you out at Lexington Avenue at 63rd Street, where you can transfer to the 4, 5, and 6 after a short walk (and without paying subway fare again). From the Upper West Side, take one of the crosstown buses, the M66, M72, M79, M86, and M96. You can also take the N or R train to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue.
FODOR’S CHOICE
Gracie Mansion
TOP EXPERIENCES
Enjoying a spin through the Neue Galerie and eating at Café SobarksySpending an afternoon at locals’ favorite, the Frick
Seeing premier collections at the Guggenheim or the Whitney
Window-shopping on Madison Avenue
TOP TOURING EXPERIENCES
NEW YORK’S LAP OF LUXURY
Walking up Madison Avenue between East 60th and East 82nd Street is like stepping into the pages of a glossy magazine. Many fashion houses have their flagships here and showcase their lush threads in equally exquisite settings.
Compared with the megastores of Midtown, Madison Avenue feels quieter; it’s significantly less crowded and more conducive to leisurely shopping (window or otherwise). Beyond clothing, the boutiques here carry baubles to satisfy anyone’s champagne wishes, whether it’s a box of truffles at La Maison du Chocolat, an intriguing read at Crawford Doyle Booksellers, or a piece of contemporary silver tableware at Christofle (680 Madison Ave. | 212/308–9390).
For a break, grab a seat at a café, such as Sant Ambroeus, and take in the fashion show on the sidewalk. End the day in style with dinner at Café Boulud or a drink at one of the neighborhood’s sleek lounges or bars.
A NEIGHBORHOOD IN EVERY BLOCK
The Upper East Side is more than just an enclave for the wealthy. In fact, a great way to experience Manhattan’s hodgepodge of communities is to walk east from 5th Avenue to the East River—zigzagging to include both avenues and side streets—and watch the neighborhoods change.
One good place to start is along lavish East 65th Street, passing the Romanesque Temple Emanu-El; the double town house at No. 47 built for Sara Delano Roosevelt and her son, Franklin; and the acclaimed French restaurant Daniel across the street. End several blocks and a world away at the 18th-century Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden on 61st Street between 1st and York avenues.
Another good route starts at the cooperative apartments at 1040 5th Avenue, at East 85th Street, the former home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It overlooks the reservoir that now bears her name.
Heading east beyond Park Avenue, the town houses and boutiques give way to the residential high-rises of Yorkville (the one at 185 E. 85th appeared in the opening credits of the TV show The Jeffersons). Few remaining shops recall the neighborhood’s German and Hungarian immigrant past (which earned 2nd Avenue the nickname “Goulash Avenue”). One delicious reminder is the 1937 food shop
Schaller & Weber (1654 2nd Ave., at East 86th St.), where you can pick up homemade bratwurst or imported stollen, cookies, and other goodies. From here, continue east to see the official mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, and the serene riverside Carl Schurz Park.
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TOP ATTRACTIONS
Fodor’s Choice | Gracie Mansion.
The official mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion was built in 1799 by shipping merchant Archibald Gracie, with an enlargement in 1966. Tours of the highly impressive interior —which must be scheduled in advance and take place under limited hours—take you through its history and colorful rooms furnished over centuries and packed with American objets d’art.
Nine mayors have lived here since it became the official residence in 1942, but New York City’s current mayor, Michael Bloomberg, broke with tradition; he chose to stay in his own 79th Street town house. He does use it, however, for meetings and functions. | Carl Schurz Park, East End Ave. opposite 88th St., Upper East Side | 10028 | 212/570–4751 | $7 | 45-min guided tours by advance
reservation only; Wed. 10–2 | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
WORTH NOTING
Carl Schurz Park.
Facing the East River, this park, named for a German immigrant who was a prominent newspaper editor in the 19th century, is so tranquil you’d never guess you’re directly above FDR Drive. Walk along the promenade, where you can take in views of the river and the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse across the way. To the north are Randall’s and Wards islands and newly renamed RFK Bridge (aka the Triborough Bridge)—as well as the more immediate sight of locals pushing strollers, riding bikes, or exercising their dogs.
If you’re visiting with kids, there’s a very worthwhile playground at the 84th Street end with climbing equipment, swings, and other diversions for toddlers and older children. If you enter the park at its 86th Street entrance or you’re exiting there, you’ll find yourself approaching the grounds of a Federal-style wood-frame house that belies the grandeur of its name—Gracie Mansion. TIP If you exit the park at 86th Street, cross East End Avenue for a stroll through Henderson Place, a miniature historic district of 24 connected Queen Anne–style houses in a dead end. The small redbrick houses, built in 1881 “for persons of moderate means,” have turrets marking the corner of each block and symmetrical roof gables, pediments, parapets, chimneys, and dormer windows. | Carl Schurz Park spans East End Ave. to the East River, E. 84th to E. 90th Sts., Upper East Side | www.carlschurzparknyc.org | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden.
Built in 1799, this former carriage house (i.e., stable) became a day hotel (a sort of country club) in 1826. Now restored and owned by the Colonial Dames of America, it provides a glimpse of the days when the city ended at 14th Street and this area was a country escape for New Yorkers. The 45-minute tour passes through the eight rooms that display furniture and artifacts of the Federal and Empire periods. Many rooms have real artifacts such as clothes, hats, and fans that children can handle. There is a lovely adjoining garden, designed in an 18th-century style. | 421 E. 61st St., between York and 1st Aves., Upper East Side | 10065 | 212/838–6878 | www.mvhm.org | $8 | Tues.–Sun. 11–4 | Subway: 4, 5, 6, F, N, R to 59th St./Lexington Ave.
Roosevelt Island.
The 2-mi-long East River slice of land that parallels Manhattan from East 48th to East 85th streets is now a quasi-suburb of 10,000 people, and the vestiges of its infamous asylums, hospitals, and prisons make this an offbeat trip for the historically curious.
At the south tip are the eerie ruins of a Smallpox Hospital, built in 1854 in a Gothic Revival style by the prominent architect James Renwick Jr. (Among many other works, Renwick also designed St. Patrick’s and the Smithsonian’s Castle.) On a small park at the island’s north tip is a lighthouse built in 1872 by island convicts. Most of what’s in between (new as well as 1970s-era condominiums and a modern-day hospital) is fairly banal, but riverside esplanades provide nice panoramas of Manhattan.
You can get here by subway, but more fun is the five-minute ride on the Roosevelt Island Tramway, the only commuter cable car in North America, which lifts you 250 feet in the air, with impressive views of Queens and Manhattan. A visitor center, made from an old trolley kiosk, stands to your left as you exit the tram. Red buses service the island, 25¢ a ride. | Tramway entrance at 2nd Ave. and either 59th St. or 60th St., Upper East Side | 10022 | 212/832–4555 | www.rioc.com | $2.25 (subway Metrocard accepted) | Tram Sun.–Thurs. 6 am–2 am, Fri. and Sat. 6 am–3:30 am; leaves approximately every 15 min | Subway: F to Roosevelt Island.
Temple Emanu-El.
The world’s largest Reform Jewish synagogue seats 2,500 worshippers. Built in 1928–29 of limestone and designed in the Romanesque style with Byzantine influences, the building has Moorish and Art Deco ornamentation, and its sanctuary is covered with mosaics. A free museum displays artifacts detailing the congregation’s history and Jewish life. The synagogue stands on the site of what was once the house of the ultimate society maven, Mrs. William Astor. | 1 E. 65th St., at 5th Ave., Upper East Side | 10065 | 212/744–1400 | www.emanuelnyc.org | Sabbath services Fri. 5:15 pm, Sat. 10:30 am; regular services Sun.–Thurs. 5:30 pm. Temple daily 10–4:30, museum Sun.–Thurs. 10–4:30 (call to confirm); tours Sun.–Thurs., Fri., and Sat. after services | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.
GALLERIES
Chelsea, Midtown’s West 57th Street, the Lower East Side, and other parts of town all have their own art galleries, but those on the Upper East Side are in a class of their own. In keeping with the tony surroundings, the emphasis here is on works by established masters rather
than up-and-coming (or even still-living) artists. Their locations are eminent as well: large town houses and upper stories in and around Madison and Fifth avenues. Note that galleries often have limited hours, so make sure to check times in advance.
Acquavella.
The 19thand 20th-century art shown inside this five-story marble-floored mansion tends to be by the big names, from Impressionists through Pop artists, including Picasso, Lucian Freud, and James Rosenquist. | 18 E. 79th St., between 5th and Madison Aves., Upper East Side | 212/734–6300 | www.acquavellagalleries.com| Subway: 6 to 77th St..
Jane Kahan.
This welcoming gallery represents very lofty works. Besides ceramics by Picasso and modern master tapestries, one of this gallery’s specialties, you’ll see works by late-19th- and early-20th-century modern artists such as Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, and Marc Chagall. | 922 Madison Ave., 2nd fl., between E. 73rd and E. 74th Sts., Upper East Side | 10021 | 212/744–1490 | www.janekahan.com | Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Keszler Gallery.
Inside a warren of rooms on the ground floor of the same building that holds the Gagosian you’ll find contemporary works by celebrity painter Russell Young and the street artist Banksy. | 984 Madison Ave., at E. 77th St., Upper East Side | 212/744–1906 | www.keszlergallery.com. | Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Knoedler & Company.
Knoedler helped many major American collectors, including industrialist Henry Clay Frick, start their collections. Now this blue-chip gallery represents 20th-century painters such as Helen Frankenthaler, Frank Stella, and John Walker. | 19 E. 70th St., between 5th and Madison Aves., Upper East Side | 10021 | 212/794–0550 | www.knoedlergallery.com | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.
Leo Castelli.
Castelli was one of the most influential dealers of the 20th century. He helped foster the careers of many important artists, including one of his first discoveries, Jasper Johns. The gallery continues to show works by Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Jackson Pollock, Robert Morris, and other heavies. | 18 E. 77th St., between 5th and Madison Aves., Upper East Side | 10075 | 212/249–4470 | www.castelligallery.com | Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Michael Werner.
This gallery, the branch of one in Berlin, specializes in German postwar art. Works by Sigmar Polke, Peter Doig, and Francis Picabia have all been displayed in this East Side town house. The emphasis is on paintings and drawings. | 4 E. 77th St., between 5th and Madison Aves., Upper East Side | 10075 | 212/988–1623 | www.michaelwerner.com | Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Mitchell-Innes & Nas.
This sleek spot represents the estates of Roy Lichtenstein and Jack Tworkov as well as other Impressionist, modern, and contemporary masters. | 1018 Madison Ave., between 78th and 79th Sts., Upper East Side | 10075 | 212/744– 7400 | www.miandn.com | Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Sotheby’s.
Occupying its own 10-story building, this branch of the storied U.K. auction house puts on display many of the items it will be auctioning. A sizeable portion of these are extremely high-profile: a copy of the Magna Carta, Fabergé eggs, rare Tiffany lamps, and Norman Rockwell’s 1943 painting Rosie the Riveter have all been sold through this Sotheby’s. | 1334 York Ave., at E. 72nd St., Upper East Side | 10021 | 212/606–7000 | www.sothebys.com | Subway: 6 to 77th St.
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Planning | Top Attractions | Worth Noting
Central Park’s creators had a simple goal: design a place where city dwellers can go to forget the city. And even though New York eventually grew far taller than the trees planted to hide it, this goal never falters. A combination escape hatch and exercise yard, Central Park is an urbanized Eden that offers residents and visitors alike a bite of the apple. We can’t imagine how insufferably stressed New York City would be without it.
PLANNING
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
The Central Park Conservancy gives several different free walking tours of the park based on the season. Most tours are 60 to 90 minutes, and custom tours are also available. If you’d rather go it alone, the Conservancy also offers an audio guide you can follow on your cell phone. Each description is read by a different celebrity or NYC VIP. Dial 646/862-0997 then the extension that corresponds to each landmark and hit pound. For more information, see centralparknyc.org.
GETTING HERE
Several entrances lead into the park. You can enter from the east, west, south, and north by paved pedestrian walkways, just off Fifth Avenue, Central Park North (110th St.), Central Park West, and Central Park South (59th St.). Four roads, or transverses, cut through the park from east to west—66th, 79th, 86th, and 96th streets. The East and West drives are both along the north–south axis; Center Drive enters the south edge of the park at Sixth Avenue and connects with East Drive around 66th Street. Five Visitor Centers—the Dairy (just south of the 66th St. transverse), Belvedere Castle (just north of the 79th Street transverse), the Chess & Checkers house (mid-park at 64th St.), and the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (at the top of the park at Central Park North)—have directions, park maps, event calendars, and volunteers who can guide you. Until a new restaurant opens in its place, the former Tavern on the Green (west side near 66th St.) is also serving as a visitor center, with food vendors as well.
Along the main loop and some smaller paths, lampposts are marked with location codes. Posts bear a letter— always “E” (for east) or “W” (for west)—followed by four numbers. The first two numbers tell you the nearest cross street. The second two tell you how far you are from either 5th Avenue or Central Park West (depending on whether it’s an “E” or “W” post). So E7803 means you’re near 78th Street, three posts in from 5th Avenue. For street numbers above 99, the initial “1” is omitted, for example, E0401 (near 104th Street, one post in from 5th Avenue).
FODOR’S CHOICE
Bethesda Fountain
Belvedere Castle
Great Lawn
Loeb Boathouse
Strawberry Fields
TOP 10 EXPERIENCES
Take a rowboat out on the Lake
Watch the sea lions play at feeding time
Rent a bike at the Boathouse
See a free concert or play
Remember John Lennon at Strawberry Fields
Ride the Carousel; wave at everyone
People-watch at Bethesda Fountain
Picnic on the Great Lawn
Pet the bronze Balto statue
Climb to the top of Belvedere Castle
Central Park’s creators had a simple goal: design a place where city dwellers can go to forget the city. And even though New York eventually grew far taller than the trees planted to hide it, this goal never falters. A combination escape hatch and exercise yard, Central Park is an urbanized Eden that offers residents and visitors alike a bite of the apple. We can’t imagine how insufferably stressed New York City would be without it.
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TOP ATTRACTIONS
Fodor’s Choice | Bethesda Fountain.
Few New York views are more romantic than the one from the top of the magnificent stone staircase that leads down to the ornate, three-tier Bethesda Fountain. The fountain was built to celebrate the opening of the Croton Aqueduct, which brought clean drinking water to New York City. The name Bethesda was taken from the biblical pool in Jerusalem that was supposedly given healing powers by an angel, which explains the statue The Angel of the Waters rising from the center. (The statue was designed by Emma Stebbins, the first woman to be commissioned for a major work of art in New York City, in 1868.) The four figures around the fountain’s base symbolize Temperance, Purity, Health, and Peace. Beyond the terrace stretches the lake, filled with swans and amateur rowboat captains. | Midpark at 72nd St. Transverse, Central Park | Subway: B, C to