Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Desks for gallery limitations. Oversized and jogging strollers are prohibited. Subway:
4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
Museum of Modern Art
The newer, larger MoMA, after a
2-year renovation, is almost twice the space of the original. The reno-
vation, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, highlights space and light,
with open rooms, high ceilings, and gardens—a beautiful work of
architecture and a complement to the art within. This is where you'll
find van Gogh's
Starry Night,
Cezanne's
Bather,
Picasso's
Les Demoi-
selles d'Avignon,
and the great sculpture by Rodin,
Monument to
Balzac.
Whenever I visit, I like to browse the fun “Architecture and
Design” department, with examples of design for appliances, furni-
ture, and even sports cars. MoMA also features edgy new exhibits
and a celebrated film series. The heart of the museum remains the
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, which has been
enlarged; the museum's new design affords additional views of this
lovely space from other parts of the museum. And, as of Spring
2008, MoMA has installed a museum-wide Wi-Fi network so that
visitors can access a mobile Web site on handheld devices (which
basically iPhones and iPod Touch). They can then load up audio
tours and commentary; content is available in eight languages as well
as in specialized versions for children, teenagers, and the visually
impaired. MoMA is one of the most expensive museums in New
York, but does have a “free” day: on Fridays from 4 to 8pm.
11 W. 53rd St. (btwn Fifth and Sixth aves.).
&
212/708-9400.
www.moma.org.
Admission $20 adults, $16 seniors, $12 students, children under 16 free if accom-
panied by an adult. Sat-Mon and Wed-Thurs 10:30am-5:30pm; Fri 10:30am-8pm.
Subway: E, V to Fifth Ave.; B, D, F to 47th-50th/Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller Center
A streamline moderne masterpiece,
Rockefeller Center is one of New York's central gathering spots for
visitors and New Yorkers alike. A prime example of the city's sky-
scraper spirit and historic sense of optimism, it was erected mainly
in the 1930s, when the city was deep in the Depression as well as its
most passionate Art Deco phase. Designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1988, it's the world's largest privately owned business-
and-entertainment center, with 18 buildings on 21 acres.
For a dramatic approach to the complex, start at Fifth Avenue
between 49th and 50th streets. The builders purposely created the
gentle slope of the Promenade, known as the
Channel Gardens
because it's flanked to the south by La Maison Française and to the
north by the British Building. (The Channel, get it?)
The
Rink at Rockefeller Center
(
&
212/332-7654;
www.
rockefellercenter.com) is tiny but romantic, especially during the
