Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Asia Society
John D. Rockefeller III founded the Asia Society in the mid-1950s to encourage cultural exchanges
and understanding between Asians and Americans. The newly renovated headquarters building has beautiful
galleries, showing of parts of Rockefeller's collection in addition to rotating exhibits. The interior architecture is
impressive, especially the sleek staircase that looks like a snake's skeleton wandering up the floors.
725 Park Ave., at 70th St.
212/288-6400.
www.asiasociety.org
. Regular admission $10; free Fri 6-9pm Sept-June. Tues-Sun 11am-6pm; Fri
11am-9pm, except July 1 to Labor Day, when museum closes 6pm Fri. Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.
Date Night: Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum
One of New York's best cheap date opportunities comes once a month at the Brooklyn Museum. Every first Saturday,
the museum transforms itself into a house party on a massive scale. The crowd is more diverse than the U.N. General
Assembly, with a dizzying range of ages, cultures, and styles represented. The museum keeps most of its galleries open
for your perusal. When you run low on witty commentary, distractions like films and lectures beckon. Dance performances
can be found, too, or if the date is going particularly well, you might let your feet work the floor yourself. The live music
tends to be upbeat and very danceable. There's no charge for any of this, and nobody hits you up for a donation. The
night is so festive that your date may not even notice just how cheap it's been. See the Brooklyn Museum review above for
the address and subway directions. Some attractions require tickets which, although free, may require standing on line.
Brooklyn Museum of Art
One of the largest art museums in the United States, the Brooklyn Museum is as
spruced up and thriving as the borough that hosts it. With a glorious new entryway, remodeled exhibitions, and
a building with over half a million square feet, there are several days' worth of exploring to be done here. The
Egyptian collection is world-class and beautifully displayed, with informative, well-written notes accompany-
ing each object. My favorites are the fourth floor's period rooms. Don't miss the
Jan Schenck House,
a touch of
Dutch in old Breuckelen that somehow survived on the edge of Jamaica Bay from 1675 to 1952.
200 Eastern Pkwy., at Washington Ave., Brooklyn.
718/638-5000.
www.brooklynmuseum.org
.
Suggested admission $12; free 1st Sat of the
month 5-11pm. Wed and Fri 11am-6pm; Thurs 11am-10pm; 1st Sat of the month 11am-11pm; each Sat thereafter and Sun 11am-6pm. Subway:
2/3 to Eastern Pkwy./Brooklyn Museum.
China Institute
A scholarly approach informs the exhibits at this 85-year-old culture and arts center. Two small,
square galleries bookend the reception area and display traditional Chinese art, with beautifully crafted ex-
amples of calligraphy, painting, architecture, and textile work.
125 E. 65th St., btw. Park and Lexington aves.
212/744-8181.
www.chinainstitute.org
. Regular admission $7; free Tues and Thurs 6-8pm. Daily
10am-5pm (Tues, Thurs to 8pm). Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.
El Museo del Barrio
A school classroom display was the genesis for this Museum Mile institution, the only mu-
seum in the United States dedicated to Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American art. The artistic history of
the region, from pre-Columbian origins to the present, is recounted in a permanent installation. Changing exhib-
itions cover contemporary subjects and artists.
1230 Fifth Ave., at 104th St.
212/831-7272.
www.elmuseo.org
. Suggested admission $9; free every 3rd Sat 11am-8:30pm. Tues-Sat
11am-6pm; Sun 1-5pm. Subway: 6 to 103rd St.
Frick Collection
Coke (the stuff for steel, not the soda or the stimulant) was very, very good to Henry Clay Frick,
who was a Gilded Age plutocrat by the age of 30. When it came time to decorate the walls of his Upper East
Side palace, he looked to the likes of Titian, Vermeer, and Goya. Hank didn't skimp on the furniture or carpet-
ing, either. Though there is a slightly musty quality to this place (it dates to 1914), the collection is undeniably
impressive, and special exhibitions have garnered plenty of buzz.
1 E. 70th St., at Fifth Ave.
212/288-0700.
www.frick.org
.
Regular admission $18; pay what you wish Sun 11am-1pm. Tues-Sat 10am-6pm;
Sun 11am-5pm. Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.
