Museums
Talk about cultural overload — New York City boasts over 75 museums! Lipstick Getaways is here to help you narrow it down.
Lipstick Getaways Favorite NYC Museums
Organized by neighborhood. Click on the links provided to visit the museum’s website for hours, fees, special exhibitions, and general info.
(For more info on these and many other NYC museums, visit this link at www.nyc.com or this one at nymusems.com.)
UPPER EAST SIDE Favorite Museums
Many of NYC’s finest cultural institutions are found on Museum Mile, a lovely stretch along Fifth Avenue. How about a museum visit here, a stroll in Central Park, and some Upper East Side shopping?
Want a bite to eat? My favorite nearby spots are Via Quadronno, Payard Patisserie and Bistro, Sarabeth’s, and the Garden Court Café @ the Asia Society. See Lipstick Getaways Favorite Restaurants: Upper East Side.
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum – Smithsonian Institution
2 E. 91st St. @ Fifth Ave.
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th St.
Exhibits of contemporary and historical design, housed in the former mansion of Andrew Carnegie.
Frick Collection
1 E. 70th St. @ Fifth Ave.
Subway: 6 to Hunter College/68th St.
Housed in his 1913 mansion, the museum features the private art collection of tycoon Henry Clay Frick. Classic 16th-18th centurey European paintings, sculpture (outstanding collection of small bronzes), and decorative arts. A favorite museum for many, because of the setting, the collection, and the manageable size — you can enjoy it (but not see everything) in an hour or two.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fifth Ave and E. 82nd. St.
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th St.
The largest museum in the Western Hemisphere — what more can I say? Unless you want to spend days and days here, you’ll need to pace yourself — pick a single exhibit, or try a “highlights” audio tour.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Fifth Ave @ 89th St.
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th St.
Frank Lloyd Wright architectural masterpiece, the perfect setting for enjoying a premier collection of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Ave. @ 75th St.
Subway: 6 to E. 77th St.
Important collection of 20th century American Art.
UPPER WEST SIDE Museums
American Museum of Natural History
Rose Center for Earth and Space (at the Natural History Museum)
Central Park West btw. 77th and 81st Sts.
Subway: B,C to 81st St./Museum of Natural History
I must admit, I only went to these two because I was with my 11-year-old son. But I enjoyed them much more than I expected, especially the IMAX movies! If this sort of thing appeals to you — or if you need some time indoors when the weather is unpleasant — these museums really are fantastic.
MIDTOWN Favorite Museums
Squeeze in a visit to one of these museums in between your Midtown sightseeing and shopping.
Want a bite to eat? There are scores of restaurants and deli’s all over Midtown where you can grab lunch or a snack.
If you’re visiting the MoMA, enjoy an upscale bite at one of the museum’s three restaurants. For other Midtown dining suggestions, see Lipstick Getaways Favorite Restaurants: Midtown West
American Folk Art Museum
45 W. 53rd St., btw Fifth and Sixth Aves.
Subway: E,V to 5th Av/53rd St; B,D,E to 7th Av; B,D,F,V to 47th-50th Sts/Rockefeller Center
Interesting, well-designed museum that you can enjoy in an hour or so.
Right across the street is another museum I like to pop into:
Museum of Arts And Design
(Note: formerly on West 53rd St., NOW AT TWO COLUMBUS CIRCLE, near Central Park.)
Updated subway directions: A,B,C,D, or 1 to Columbus Circle at 59th; or N,R,O, or W to 57th St and 7th Ave; or F to 57th St and 6th Ave.
Formerly called the American Craft Museum. Features contemporary decorative arts: clay, glass, wood, metal, fabric, paper, etc. Easy to pop into for a quick dose of something interesting and different. Wonderful gift shop.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
11 W. 53rd St., btw Fifth and Sixth Aves.
Subway: 6 to 51st St; V to 5th Ave./53rd St.
This pre-eminent museum for modern art re-opened in November 2004 after a stunning $425 million renovation.
