Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Assembly Hall, and many of the
works by prominent artists, in-
cluding Marc Chagall and Henry
Moore.
d
First Avenue at 46th St
•
Map
J5
•
Open (for tours) 9:30am-4:45pm Mon-
Fri, 10am-4:30pm Sat-Sun (Jan-Feb: Mon-
Fri only)
•
Admission charge
•
www.un.org
A Day Exploring
Midtown
Morning
Start at the
Morgan
Library
(see p41)
, and see
Morgan's opulent study,
then proceed to 42nd
Street and turn east for a
tour through
Grand Central
Terminal
(see p123)
. Con-
tinue east on 42nd Street,
stopping to look at the
outstanding lobbies of the
Chrysler Building
(see
p123)
, the
Daily News
Building
, and the
Ford
Foundation
, and climbing
the stairs to see the
Tudor
City
complex
(see p127)
.
Diamond
District
Jewels glisten
in every window
of this block,
the center of
the city's retail
and wholesale
trade. It handles 80 percent of
the diamonds coming into the
U.S. Developed largely by
Orthodox Jews, the district grew
in importance during the World
War II when thousands fled the
diamond centers of Antwerp and
Amsterdam to settle in New
York. Above the shops are
offices and workshops where
the stones are cut and set.
d
47th Street, between 5th & 6th avs
•
Map J3
End the morning with a
tour of the
United Nations
HQ
. If you reserve ahead,
you can have lunch in
the very special U.N.
delegate's dining room
(212 963 7625).
Afternoon
Take the 42nd Street
crosstown bus back to Fifth
Avenue and visit the
New
York Public Library
. Walk
uptown to 47th Street and
turn west for the
Diamond
District
, then pay a quick
visit to the
Museum of
Television and Radio
(see p128)
on 52nd Street
between Fifth and Sixth
avenues. Pop in to the new
home of the
American
Museum of Folk Art
(see
p139)
and stop for a coffee
in the museum's café
before taking in the
exhibits of traditional art.
Carnegie Hall
New York almost lost its
most famous concert hall when
the New York Philharmonic
moved to the newly built Lincoln
Center in the 1950s. However, a
coalition, led by violinist Isaac
Stern, successfully fought to save
the building from demolition. It
was bought by the city in 1960
and became a National Historic
Landmark in 1964. A major 1986
renovation restored much of the
original appearance while
updating technical facilities and
preserving the hall's famous
acoustics. Musical memorabilia
fills the halls and the Rose
Museum
(see p46)
.
d
West
57th Street at 7th Av
•
Map H3
•
Open 11am-4:30pm daily
•
Free
•
www.carnegiehall.org
Return to 5th Avenue where
the uptown shops include
Tiffany and Company
's
(see p10)
windows of jew-
els,
Bergdorf Goodman
's
(see p10)
stylish displays,
and F.A.O. Schwarz. Round
the day off at the Plaza
Hotel at 59th Street, perfect
for a refreshing cocktail in
a landmark setting.
125
