Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cutting-Edge Art in Chelsea
The area in the West 20s between Tenth and Eleventh
avenues is home to the avant-garde of today's New York art
scene, with West 26th serving as the unofficial “gallery
row”—and nearly all the art is free to the public. Do yourself
a favor and take a stroll through the neighborhood. Take the
C, E to 23rd Street, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am until
6pm. See
Time Out New York
or the
New York Times
for list-
ings, and note that many of the galleries are closed during
the summer.
Finds
house, parts of five cloisters from medieval monasteries, a
Romanesque chapel, and a 12th-century Spanish apse brought intact
from Europe. Surrounded by peaceful gardens, this is the one place
on the island that can even approximate the kind of solitude suitable
to such a collection. Inside you'll find extraordinary works that
include the famed Unicorn tapestries, sculpture, illuminated manu-
scripts, stained glass, ivory, and precious metal work.
Despite its remoteness, the Cloisters are popular, especially in fine
weather, so try to schedule your visit during the week rather than on
a crowded weekend afternoon. A free guided
Highlights Tour
is
offered Tuesday through Friday at 3pm and Sunday at noon; gallery
talks are also a regular feature. Additionally,
Garden Tours
are
offered Tuesday through Sunday at 1pm in May, June, September,
and October; lectures and other special programming are always on
Sunday from noon to 2pm; and medieval music concerts are regu-
larly held in the stunning 12th-century Spanish chapel. For an extra-
special experience, you may want to plan your visit around one.
At the north end of Fort Tryon Park.
&
212/923-3700.
www.metmuseum.org. Sug-
gested admission (includes same-day entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
$20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, free for children under 12. Nov-Feb Tues-Sun
9:30am-4:45pm; Mar-Oct Tues-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. Subway: A to 190th St., then
a 10-min. walk north along Margaret Corbin Dr., or pick up the M4 bus at the sta-
tion (1 stop to Cloisters). Bus: M4 Madison Ave. (Fort Tryon Park-The Cloisters).
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
Part of the
Smithsonian Institution, the Cooper-Hewitt is housed in the
Carnegie Mansion, built by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie in 1901,
and undergoing a renovation of the Fox and Miller town houses and
the Museum Mansion, which will create a third floor and expand
gallery space by 80%. The renovation is scheduled to be completed
