Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Grand Central Station
NOTABLE BUILDING
(
www.grandcentralterminal.com
; 42nd St at Park Ave)
Built in 1913 as a prestigious terminal
by New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, Grand Central Station is no longer a
romantic place to begin a cross-country journey, as it's now the terminus for Metro North
commuter trains to the northern suburbs and Connecticut. But even if you're not board-
ing a train to the 'burbs, it's worth exploring the grand, vaulted main concourse and gaz-
ing up at the restored ceiling, decorated with a star map that is actually a 'God's-eye' im-
age of the night sky. There's a high-end food market and the lower level houses a truly
excellent array of eateries, while the balcony has a cozy '20s-era salon kind of bar called
the
Campbell Apartment
.
Fifth Avenue & Around
NEIGHBORHOOD
(725 Fifth Ave, at 56th St)
Immortalized in both film and song, Fifth Ave first developed its
high-class reputation in the early 20th century, when it was considered desirable for its
'country' air and open spaces. A series of mansions called
Millionaire's Row
extended
right up to 130th St, though most of the heirs to the millionaire mansions on Fifth Ave
above 59th St sold them for demolition or converted them to the cultural institutions that
now make up Museum Mile.
The avenue's Midtown stretch still boasts upmarket shops and hotels, including Trump
Tower and the Plaza (cnr Fifth Ave and Central Park South). While a number of the more
exclusive boutiques have migrated to Madison Ave - leaving outposts of Gap and H&M
in their wake - several superstars still reign over Fifth Ave above 50th St, including the
famous Tiffany & Co.
Pierpont Morgan Library
MUSEUM
(
www.morganlibrary.org
;
29 E 36th St at Madison Ave; adult/child $18/12; 10:30am-5pm Tue-
Thu, to 9pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, 11am-6pm Sun; 6 to 33rd St)
The beautifully renovated lib-
rary is part of the 45-room mansion once owned by steel magnate JP Morgan. His collec-
tion features a phenomenal array of manuscripts, tapestries and topics, a study filled with
Italian Renaissance artwork, a marble rotunda and the three-tiered East Room main lib-
rary.
United Nations
NOTABLE BUILDING
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
