Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE ASIA SOCIETY MUSEUM
MOUNT VERNON HOTEL MUSEUM & GARDEN
421 E 61st St between First and York aves. Subway F to Lexington Ave/63rd St; N, R to Lexington Ave/59th
St; #4, #5, #6 to 59th St. 212 838 6878,
www.mvhm.org
. Tues-Sun 11am-4pm. $8.
MAP
Inside this fine stone house is a series of period rooms from the 1820s, meticulously re-
stored by the Colonial Dames of America (an association of women who can trace their an-
cestry back to colonial times). The Dames were attracted by a connection with Abigail
Adams Smith (daughter of President John Adams), though recent research has revealed this
to be tenuous; the property was part of an estate bought by Abigail and husband in 1795, but
the family soon went bankrupt, and it was only completed as a carriage house in 1799 by the
new owner. The house served as a hotel between 1826 and 1833.
GRACIE MANSION
East End Ave at E 88th St. Subway #4, #5, #6 to 86th St. 311 639 9675. 212 639 9675 (outside
NYC). Tours (45min) on Wed 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm. $7; reservations required.
MAP
One of the city's best-preserved colonial buildings, the 1799
Gracie Mansion
has served as
the official residence of the mayor of New York City since 1942; billionaire Michael
Bloomberg opted not to live at the mansion, but current mayor Bill de Blasio has continued
the tradition. The mansion was meticulously restored in 2002, but other than a few antiques
and the bold murals in the dining room, the house itself isn't particularly compelling, and
the tours are most interesting for the effusive guides and the stories of past mayors.
