New_York_City_2012_-_Fodor_39_s

72nd St.

Fodor’s Choice | Belvedere Castle.

Standing regally atop Vista Rock, the second-highest natural point in the park, makes Belvedere Castle the highest man-made vista from which you can see the stage of Delacorte Theater as well as picnickers and softball players on the Great Lawn. The castle was built in 1872 of the same gray Manhattan schist that thrusts out of the soil in dramatic outcrops throughout the park (you can examine some of this schist, polished and striated by Ice Age glaciers, from the lip of the rock). A typically 19th-century mishmash of styles—Gothic with Romanesque, Chinese, Moorish, and Egyptian motifs—the castle was deliberately kept small so that when it was viewed from across the lake, the lake would seem bigger. (The Ramble, to the south, now obscures the lake’s castle view.) Since 1919 it has been a U.S. Weather Bureau station; look for twirling meteorological instruments atop the tower. Inside, the Henry Luce Nature Observatory has nature exhibits, children’s workshops, and educational programs. Free discovery kits containing binoculars, bird guides, maps, and sketching materials are available (before 4 PM) in exchange for two pieces of identification. | Midpark at 79th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/772–0210 | Free | Tues.–Sun. 10–5 | Subway: B, C to 81st St.

Central Park Zoo.

Even a leisurely visit to this small but delightful menagerie of more than 130 species will take only about an hour. Officially known as the Central Park Wildlife Center, this would never be confused with the Bronx Zoo—there’s no space for such animals as zebras and giraffes to roam, and the biggest specimens here are polar bears. Clustered around the central Sea Lion Pool are separate exhibits for each of the Earth’s major environments. Penguins and polar bears live at Polar Circle, the highlights of the openair Temperate Territory are the chattering monkeys, and the Rain Forest contains the flora and fauna of the tropics. Stick around to see the sea lion feedings, possibly the zoo’s most popular attraction, daily at 11:30, 2, and 4, and to watch the animal statues dance to a variety of nursery rhymes at the Delacorte Musical Clock just outside, on the hour and half-hour from 8 am to 5 pm. | Entrance at 5th Ave. and E. 64th St., Central Park | 212/439–6500 | www.centralparkzoo.org | $6 | No children under 16 admitted without adult | Apr.–Oct., weekdays 10–5, weekends 10–5:30; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–4:30 | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College; N, R, W to 5th Ave./59th St.; F to Lexington Ave./63rd St.

Great Lawn.

This 14-acre oval greensward has endured millions of footsteps, thousands of ball games, hundreds of downpours, dozens of concerts, and even the crush attending one papal Mass. Yet it’s the stuff of a suburbanite’s dream—perfectly tended turf (a mix of rye and Kentucky bluegrass), state-of-the-art drainage systems, automatic sprinklers, and careful horticultural monitoring. The area hums with action on weekends and most summer evenings, when its softball fields and picnicking grounds provide a much-needed outlet for city folk (and city dogs) of all ages. | Midpark between 81st and 85th Sts., Central Park.

Fodor’s Choice | Loeb Boathouse.

At the brick neo-Victorian boathouse on the park’s 18-acre lake, you can rent a rowboat, take a ride in an authentic Venetian gondola, or pedal off on a rented bicycle. |

Midpark at E. Park Dr., Central Park | 212/517–2233 | Boat rental $12 per hr ($30 deposit); $30 per ½ hr for gondola rides; bicycle rental $9–$15 per hr, deposit required | Boats and bikes available Mar.–Oct., daily 10– 6, weather permitting. Call for gondolier’s schedule. | Subway: 6 to 77th St.

Sheep Meadow.

A sheep-grazing area until 1934, this grassy 15-acre meadow is now a favorite of picnickers and sunbathers. It’s a designated quiet zone; the most vigorous sports allowed are kite flying and Frisbee tossing. Just west of the meadow is the site of the famous Tavern on the Green restaurant, which was open from 1934 to 2009. The building, which once did indeed hold sheep and a shepherd, was erected by Boss Tweed in 1870. It is currently being used as a visitor center, with high-end food trucks often parked here. | East of West Dr. and north of 65th St. Transverse, Central Park.

Strawberry Fields.

This memorial to John Lennon, who penned the classic 1967 song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” is sometimes called the “international garden of peace.” Its curving paths, shrubs, trees, and flower beds donated by many countries create a deliberately informal landscape reminiscent of English parks. Every year on December 8, Beatles fans mark the anniversary of Lennon’s death by gathering around the star-shape, black-and-white “IMAGINE” mosaic set into the pavement. Lennon’s 1980 murder took place across the street at the Dakota apartment building, where he lived. | W. Park Dr. and W. 72nd St., Central Park | Subway: B, C to 72nd St.

WORTH NOTING

Alice in Wonderland.

Lewis Carroll’s heroine from the immortal Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is 11 feet tall and bronzed here, in one of the most popular statues in the park. Alice sits queenlike on a giant mushroom, with the White Rabbit to her left, the Mad Hatter to her right, and the Cheshire cat above in a tree. The statue was donated to the park in 1959 by philanthropist George Delacorte. Sculptor José de Creeft remained true to John Tenniel’s illustrations in the first edition of the book. | East of East Dr., just north of Conservatory Water Boathouse, Central Park | Subway: 6 to 77th St.

The Arsenal.

Built between 1847 and 1851 as a storage facility for munitions, the Arsenal predates the park and is the second-oldest structure within its grounds—the oldest structure is Blockhouse #1. Between 1869 and 1877 it was the early home of the American Museum of Natural History, and it is now the headquarters of the Parks and Recreation Department. An upstairs gallery has changing exhibits relating to park and natural-environmental design. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s original plan for Central Park is in a display case on the third floor. | 830 5th Ave., at E. 64th St., Central Park | 212/360–8111 | Free | Weekdays 9–5 | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.

Balto.

This bronze statue commemorates Balto, a real-life sled dog who led a team of huskies that carried medicine for 60 mi across perilous ice to Nome, Alaska, during a 1925 diphtheria epidemic. The surface of the statue is shiny from being petted by thousands of children. | East of Center Dr. near Literary Walk and E. 67th St., Central Park | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.

Blockhouse #1.

The Blockhouse, the park’s oldest building, was one of three constructed hastily in September 1814 as a fortification against the British invasion of New York City. The builders were volunteers and worked quickly, as is evident in the unevenness of the stone facade. Only a shell of the blockhouse remains; the interior is not open to visitors. Because the area is heavily wooded and somewhat remote, it’s best to avoid going here after dusk or alone, since muggings do occur here, albeit rarely. |

South of entrance at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and Central Park N, Central Park | Subway: B, C to Cathedral Pkwy./110th St.

Bow Bridge.

This splendid cast-iron bridge arches over a neck of the lake between Bethesda Fountain and the Ramble. Stand here to admire the water’s mirror image of vintage apartment buildings peeping above the treetops—a quintessential New York image. | Midpark north of 72nd St. Transverse, Central Park | Subway: B, C to 72nd St..

Cherry Hill.

Originally a watering area for horses, this circular plaza with a small wrought-iron-and-gilt fountain is a great vantage point for the lake and the West Side skyline. | Midpark near 72nd St. Transverse, Central Park.

Cleopatra’s Needle.

This hieroglyphic-covered obelisk that began life in Heliopolis, Egypt, around 1600 BC, has little to do with Cleopatra—it’s just a nickname for the work. It was eventually carted off to Alexandria by the Romans in 12 BC, and landed here on February 22, 1881, when the khedive of Egypt made it a gift to the city. It stands behind the Metropolitan Museum, on the west side of East Park Drive. A century-plus in New York has done more to ravage the Needle than millennia of globe-trotting, and the hieroglyphics have sadly worn away to a tabula rasa. The copper crabs supporting the huge stone at each corner almost seem squashed by its weight. | E. Park Dr. north of 79th St. Transverse, Central Park | Subway: 6 to 77th St.

Conservatory Garden.

These magnificent formal gardens occupy 6 acres south of the Harlem Meer in Central Park’s northeast corner. The conservatory’s entrance is marked by elaborate wroughtiron gates that once graced the Midtown 5th Avenue mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The classic Italian–style Central Garden has a lawn bordered by yew hedges and cool crab-apple allées. Across the lawn is the large Conservatory Fountain, beyond which a semicircular wisteria-draped pergola rises into the hillside. The Frenchinspired North Garden has several bedding plants that create elaborate floral patterns. The three bronze girls dancing in the Untermeyer Fountain are at the heart of a circular bed where 20,000 tulips bloom in spring and 2,000 chrysanthemums herald autumn. Perennials in the Englishstyle South Garden surround a statue of characters from the classic children’s book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. | Near 5th Ave. and E. 105th St., Central Park | 212/360–2766 | Free | Daily 8–dusk | Subway: 6 to 103rd St.

Conservatory Water.

The sophisticated model boats that sail this Renaissance Revival–style stone basin are raced each Saturday morning at 10, spring through fall. At the north end is the Alice in Wonderland statue; on the west side of the pond, a bronze statue of Hans Christian Andersen, the Ugly Duckling at his feet, is the site of storytelling hours on summer Saturdays at 11 AM. Model sailboats can be rented from a concession by the boat pond. | East side of park, from E. 73rd to E. 75th Sts., Central Park | Subway: 6 to 77th St.

The Dairy.

When it was built in the 19th century—back when the northern border of residential Manhattan was at 38th Street —the Dairy sat amid grazing cows and sold milk by the glass. Today the Swiss-chalet-style Dairy houses the

Central Park Visitor Center, which has exhibits on the park’s history, maps, a park reference library, and information about park events. | Midpark south of 65th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/794–6564 | Apr.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. 10–5; Nov.–Mar., Tues.–Sun. 10–4.

Delacorte Theater.

Some of the best things in New York are, indeed, free— including summer “Shakespeare in the Park” performances at this open-air stage. Casts are often studded with Hollywood stars. Meryl Streep, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Helen Hunt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline are just a few who have performed here. Tickets are free and are given out starting at 1 PM on the day of each show, which often sells out. What you save in money, you make up for in time and tedium—lines are long. Plan to line up by midmorning or earlier if there have been good reviews. It’s not unheard of for theatergoers to show up at 7 AM with a breakfast picnic to weather the wait. Each person in line is allowed two tickets for that evening’s performance. Tickets are also available online; making a donation to the Public is one way to avoid the lines and be sure you get a ticket. Same-day tickets are also given away at the Public Theater (425 Lafayette St., East Village) at 1 PM. | Midpark near W. 81st St., Central Park | 212/539–8750 seasonal | www.publictheater.org | Subway: 6 to 77th St.; B, C to 81st St.

Friedsam Memorial Carousel.

Remarkable for the size of its hand-carved steeds—all 57 are three-quarters the size of real horses—this carousel was built in 1908 and moved here from Coney Island in 1951. Today it’s considered one of the finest examples of turn-of-the-20th-century folk art. The carousel’s original Wurlitzer organ plays a variety of tunes, from old-time waltzes to polkas. | Midpark south of 65th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/879–0244 | $1.25 | Apr.–Nov., daily 10–dusk; Dec.–Mar., weekends 10–dusk, weather permitting | Subway: 1, 9 to 66th Street/Lincoln Center.

Harlem Meer.

Those who never venture beyond 96th Street miss out on two of the park’s loveliest attractions: the Conservatory Garden and Harlem Meer, an 11-acre sheet of water where, in warmer months, as many as 100 people a day fish for stocked largemouth bass, catfish, golden shiners, and bluegills (catch-and-release only). At the meer’s north end is the Victorian-style Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, where you can learn about geography, orienteering, ecology, and the history of the upper park. Within walking distance of the center are fortifications from the American Revolution and other historic sites, as well as woodlands, meadows, rocky bluffs, lakes, and streams. Fishing poles are available with identification from midApril through October. | Between 5th and Lenox Aves. at Central Park N, Central Park | 212/860–1370 | Discovery Center Tues.–Sun. 10–5 | Subway: 2, 3 to Central Park North/110th St.

Horse-drawn carriage rides.

Taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage is on the to-do list of many romantically inclined visitors. If it’s on yours, be prepared to pay—the rates are $50 per carriage for the first 20 minutes on a standard route that covers just ¾ of a mile; each additional 10 minutes costs $20. The carriages hold up to four adults or three adults and two children. |

Carriages and drivers wait along Central Park South, Central Park | Subway: N, Q, R to 5th Ave./59th Street; A, B, C, D, 1 to 59th St./Columbus Circle | [hours].</SI></R>

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

This 106-acre body of water was built in 1862 to provide fresh water to Manhattan residents. Although it still contains 1 billion gallons, it’s no longer used for drinking water—the city’s main reservoirs are upstate. A 1.58-mi cinder path circling the lake is popular with runners year-round. Please observe local traffic rules and travel counterclockwise. Even if you’re not training for the New York City Marathon, it’s worth visiting the reservoir for a 360-degree view of surrounding high-rises, which makes for stirring sunsets. In spring and fall the hundreds of trees around the reservoir burst into color, and migrant waterfowl are plentiful. Just remember to look out for the athletes, as they have the right of way. The reservoir was officially named the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in 1994 for the former first lady, who frequently jogged in the area and lived nearby. |

Midpark from 85th to 96th Sts., Central Park.

The Mall.

Around the turn of the 20th century, fashionable ladies and gentlemen used to gather to see and be seen on this broad, formal walkway. Today the Mall looks as grand as ever. The south end of its main path, the Literary Walk, is covered by the majestic canopy of the largest collection of American elms in North America and lined by statues of authors and artists such as Robert Burns, Shakespeare, and Sir Walter Scott. East of the Mall, behind the Naumburg Bandshell, is the site of SummerStage, a free summertime concert series. | Midpark between 66th and 72nd Sts., Central Park | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.

Naturalists’ Walk.

Starting at the West 79th Street entrance to the park, this landscaped nature walk (through which you can wend your way toward the Swedish Cottage, the Shakespeare Garden, and Belvedere Castle) has spectacular rock outcrops; a stream that attracts birdlife; a woodland area with various native trees; stepping-stone trails; and, thankfully, benches. | Off Central Park W between W. 77th and W. 81st Sts., Central Park | Subway: B, C to 81st St.

The Pond.

Swans and ducks can sometimes be spotted on the calm waters of the Pond. For an unbeatable view of the city skyline, walk along the shore to Gapstow Bridge. From left to right you can see the brown peak-roof SherryNetherland Hotel; the black-and-white CBS Building; the rose-color Chippendale-style top of the Sony Building; the black-glass shaft of Trump Tower; and, in front, the green gables of the Plaza Hotel. | Central Park S and 5th Ave., Central Park | Subway: N, R, W to 5th Ave.

The Ramble.

Designed to resemble upstate New York’s Adirondack Mountain region, the Ramble is a heavily wooded, 37-acre area laced with twisting, climbing paths. This is prime birdwatching territory since it’s a rest stop along a major migratory route and shelters many of the more than 270 species of birds that have been sighted in the park. The Central Park Conservancy leads walking tours here. Because the Ramble is so dense and isolated, however, it’s not a good place to wander alone or at night. | Midpark between E. 74th St. and 79th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/360–2727 tours.

Shakespeare Garden.

Inspired by the flora mentioned in the playwright’s work, this somewhat hidden garden (between Belvedere Castle and the Swedish Cottage) is well worth a stop. Under the dedicated care of the gardener, something is almost always blooming on the terraced hillside of lush beds. The fantastic spring bulb display beginning in March and June’s peak bloom of antique roses are particularly stunning times to visit. The curving paths are furnished with handsome rustic benches, making this park-designated quiet zone a superb spot for a good read or contemplative thought. | W. Park Dr. and 79th St. Transverse, Central Park | Subway: B, C to 81st St.

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre.

Since 1947, puppet theater has been entertaining pint-size New Yorkers in this 1876 traditional Swedish schoolhouse. The house was imported for the Philadelphia Exhibition and brought to Central Park soon thereafter. At this writing, the show is “Three,” which presents the tales “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Three Bears,” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” | W. Park Dr. north of 79th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/988–9093 | $6 | Shows Oct.–June, Tues.–Fri. 10:30 and noon, Sat. 1; July and Aug., Tues.–Fri. 10:30 and noon. Closed Sun., Mon., and Sept. Reservations required. | Subway: B, C to 81st St.

Tisch Children’s Zoo.

This minizoo gives kids the opportunity to pet and feed sheep, goats, rabbits, cows, and pigs. The Enchanted Forest is a surreal place filled with “acorns” the size of Saint Bernards, a climbable “spiderweb,” and hoppable “lily pads.” Other attractions include a duck pond, children’s theater, touch and sound displays, and a water-spray play area. Avoid weekends, when the zoo is packed. | Just north of Central Park Wildlife Center, Central Park | $6; price includes Wildlife Center | Apr.–Oct., weekdays 10–5, weekends 10–5:30; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–4:30 | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.

Wollman Memorial Rink.

Its music blaring out into the tranquility of the park can be a bit of an intrusion, but you can’t deny that this rink dwarfed by billion-dollar Central Park South skyscrapers makes a great setting for a spin on the ice. You can watch skaters from the terrace. If your heart is set on a visit, be sure to check the Web site or call ahead; the rink often closes for private parties, especially during the holidays, and it often closes during the day so that the ice can be smoothed with the Zamboni. | E. Park Dr. south of 65th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/439–6900 | www.wollmanskatingrink.com | $11 Fri.–Sun., $8.50 Mon.– Thurs. Skate rentals $4.75. Lockers $3.75, plus $6.25 refundable deposit | Nov.–Mar., Mon. and Tues. 10–2:30,

Wed. and Thurs. 10–10, Fri. and Sat. 10 AM–11 PM, Sun. 10–9, weather permitting | Subway: N, R, W to 5th Ave.

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Planning | Top Touring Experiences | Top Attractions | Worth Noting

Updated by John Rambow

Residents of the Upper West Side will proudly tell you that they live in one of the last real neighborhoods in the city. That’s highly debatable, but people actually do know their neighbors in this primarily residential section of Manhattan, and away from the high-rent stretches of Broadway, some small owner-operated businesses still flourish.

The Upper West Side is one of the city’s quieter hoods, with a much slower pace than most other areas of the city. And it’s for that reason—along with a large and somewhat more affordable housing stock—that families choose to live here.

On weekends, stroller-pushing parents cram sidewalks along the wide avenues, shuttling their kids to soccer practice and birthday parties. Shoppers jam gourmet food emporiums such as Zabar’s and Fairway, and other specialty stores along Broadway and Columbus Avenue.

Side streets are tree-lined, with high stoops leading up to stately brownstones straight out of Woody Allen films. The area has traditionally had a sizeable Jewish community, and so on the Sabbath large families can be seen walking to and from one of the Upper West Side’s many synagogues. And everyone, no matter the season or time of day, enjoys Central Park and Riverside Park, two of the neighborhood’s communal backyards.

The Upper West Side also has its share of cultural institutions, from the stunning buildings that sit on the 16acre Lincoln Center complex, to the impressive collection at the New-York Historical Society to Columbus Circle’s Museum of Art and Design to the much-loved American Museum of Natural History.

Most people think the area north of 106th Street and south of 125th Street on the West Side is just an extension of the Upper West Side. But technically it’s called Morningside Heights, and it’s largely dominated by Columbia University, along with a cluster of academic, religious, and

medical institutions—Barnard College, St. Luke’s Hospital, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, to name a few.

Within the gates of the Columbia or Barnard campuses or inside the hushed St. John the Divine, New York City takes on a different character. This is an uptown student neighborhood—less hip than the Village, but friendly, fun, and intellectual.

PLANNING

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

Broadway is hands down the most walkable and interesting thoroughfare on the Upper West Side, largely because of its broad sidewalks and aggressive mix of retail stores, restaurants, and apartment buildings. If you head north from the Lincoln Center area (around 65th Street) to about 81st Street (about 1 mi), you’ll get a feel for the neighborhood’s local color, particularly above 72nd Street. Up here you’ll encounter residents of every conceivable age and ethnicity either shambling or sprinting (New Yorkers wouldn’t know a medium pace if they tripped over it, quite literally), street vendors hawking used and newish books, and such beloved landmarks as the 72nd Street subway station, the Beacon Theater, the produce mecca Fairway (the cause of perhaps the most perpetually congested block), and Zabar’s, a food spot that launches a memorable assault on all five of your senses—and your wallet.

Should you venture farther uptown, you’ll encounter a high concentration of apartments and the families that complain about outgrowing them, along with a smattering of decent and enduring restaurants. If you’re intrigued by having the city’s only Ivy League school close at hand, hop the 1 train to 116th Street and emerge on the east side of the street, which puts you smack in front of Columbia University and its Graduate School of Journalism. Pass through the gates and up the walk for a look at a cluster of buildings so elegant you’ll understand why it’s an iconic N.Y.C. setting.

GETTING HERE

The A, B, C, D, and 1 subway lines will take you to Columbus Circle. From there, the B and C lines run along Central Park, stopping at 72nd, 81st, 86th, 96th, 103rd, and 110th streets. The 1 train runs up Broadway, making local stops at 66th, 72nd, 79th, 86th, 96th, 103rd, 110th, 116th, and 125th streets. The 2 and 3 trains, which also go along Broadway, stop at 72nd and 96th.

FODOR’S CHOICE

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine

Lincoln Center

TOP EXPERIENCES

Walking along Broadway—and stopping to sit on a bench in its median or a chair in the pedestrian-only sections that run along it

Grabbing lox and cream cheese and a cup of coffee at Zabar’s

Strolling through Riverside Park past the boat basin

Standing below the gigantic blue whale at the Museum of Natural History

Watching performers and students rushing to rehearsals and classes at Lincoln Center

Taking in the Gothic mood of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Standing in awe at Grant’s Tomb

TOP TOURING EXPERIENCES

LIVE LIKE A NEW YORKER

The upper 70s and lower 80s of the Upper West Side present a very livable, bourgeois New York. Families and young couples settled here, attracted to the peaceful side streets and broad avenues combined with the best accessories of urban living: museums and performance centers, plentiful stores, restaurants, gourmet markets, and parks.

You could shop and eat your way up and down this stretch of Broadway and Columbus Avenue for hours, turning along tree-lined side streets of gorgeous brownstones. Museum lovers should stroll right up Central Park West—passing the Dakota and other elegant residences—to reach the NewYork Historical Society and the American Museum of Natural History. Need a rest? Go for a spot of tea at

Alice’s Teacup (102 W. 73rd St. | 212/799–3006) or assemble a picnic from what some say is the city’s best gourmet market and place to get a bagel and lox, Zabar’s

(80th St. at Broadway), and take it to Central Park or farther west to Riverside Park.

TAKE A TRIP UPTOWN

Feeling a world away (actually, only 50 blocks) from the hustle of Midtown, much of Morningside Heights moves at the scholarly pace of its many schools, including Columbia University and Barnard College.

Both campuses have beautiful buildings, but the area’s architectural winner is the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the world’s largest Gothic-style cathedral. And when you get hungry, well … with students come great cheap eats: peruse a local newspaper at an old-school diner, or sample the authentic Mexican and South American cooking on Amsterdam Avenue.

ENJOY A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Have a night on the town without heading south of Central Park. The Upper West Side is New York’s epicenter of the performing arts, especially classical music. The acoustic star is Lincoln Center, a 16-acre collective of concert halls and other institutions (including Juilliard) that draws the world’s greatest musicians, dancers, and other performers. In 2009 the center finished major renovations, making the complex much more a part of the neighborhood. Its sparkling main plaza (W. 63rd St. at Columbus Ave., Upper West Side), with its gorgeous and dramatic fountain, is a thrilling place to wander through.

Sharing the neighborhood’s energetic vibe are the busy Columbus Circle destinations, the Museum of Art and Design and the 55-story Time Warner Center. The skyscraper complex, essentially a supercharged mall, includes a great collection of shops, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and a blue-chip lineup of restaurants, including Per Se, Masa, and Porter House New York.

And the area around Lincoln Center isn’t the only place to find star turns on the Upper West Side. Symphony Space, at Broadway and 95th Street, is famed for its “Selected Shorts” reading series as well as other events, and the jazz club Cleopatra’s Needle, a few blocks away, is an institution.

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TOP ATTRACTIONS

Fodor’s Choice | Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

The largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world, even with its towers and transepts still unfinished, this divine behemoth comfortably asserts its bulk in the country’s most vertical city.

The seat of the Episcopal diocese in New York, it acts as a sanctuary for all, giving special services that include a celebration of New York’s gay and lesbian community as well as the annual Blessing of the Bikes, when cyclists of all faiths bring their wheels for a holy-water benediction. The cathedral hosts musical performances

(www.stjohndivine.org) and has held funerals and memorial services for such artists as Duke Ellington, Jim Henson, George Balanchine, James Baldwin, and Alvin Ailey.