New York – Around Town : Midtown (part 1)

by

The lights of Times Square,
The Spires of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, Rockefeller
Center, the United Nations Headquarters, stores on 5th Avenue, museums,
theaters, and grand buildings galore – all are found in the midtown area
between 34th and 59th streets, extending from the East River as far as
Broadway. The concentration of attractions makes this the most important
area of the city for visitors, and many a day can be spent taking in
the sights. Fifth Avenue, the dividing line between the East and West
sides, is in many ways the Main Street of Manhattan, and in itself
offers a generous sampling of the city’s riches, from architecture to
commerce. Midtown also reflects the city’s characteristic diversity,
with attractions that range from the bustling retail of the Diamond
District, to the stately halls of the New York Public Library.


Time for Tea

Taking tea is an increasingly popular custom in New York. Among the top places are the elegant 

Four Seasons Hotel, 57 East 57th Street near Madison

, the Tea Box Café at Takashimaya, the tea room at the St. Regis Hotel, and the salon de thé at 

Fauchon, 442 Park Avenue at 56th

.






Sights

  1. Times Square

    The city’s most famous intersection, and symbol of the lively theater district .




    Times Square

  2. Empire State Building

    New
    York’s most famous, and tallest, skyscraper is a classic. Since the
    structure was completed in 1931 more than 120 million visitors have
    looked down on the city from its observatories .




    Empire State Building

  3. Rockefeller Center

    Rockefeller Center
    is the hub of midtown New York, alive with activity day and night,
    integrating shops, gardens, dining and office space, and its own aerial
    vantage point.




    Prometheus, Rockefeller Center



    Rockefeller Center

  4. Chrysler Building

    The
    unmistakable shimmering spire of the Chrysler Building is one of New
    York’s great landmarks. The grand Art Deco lobby, once used as a
    showroom for Chrysler cars, has been restored to show off its lavish
    marble and granite, and a vast painted ceiling depicts transportation
    scenes of the late 1920s.

    • 405 Lexington Ave at 42nd St

    • Open (lobby only) 7am–6pm Mon–Fri

    • Free




    Chrysler Building



    Chrysler Building

  5. Grand Central Terminal

    One of the world’s great rail terminals, the outstanding Beaux Arts building is New York’s most visited, with 500,000 people passing through it
    daily. Since restoration work was completed, its admirers are no longer
    limited to travelers. Grand Central has become an attraction in its own
    right, with
    shops, close to 50 restaurants and food purveyors, and the New
    York City Transit Museum.




    Grand Central Terminal

  6. New York Public Library

    Carrère
    and Hastings won a competition for the design of this great Beaux Arts
    building. Their genius reached its height in the Main Reading Room, a
    paneled space as majestic as a cathedral, extending almost two city
    blocks, with enormous arched windows, 18 grand chandeliers, and an
    elaborately decorated, vaulted ceiling .

    • 5th Ave at 42nd St

    • Open 11am–6pm Mon, Thu–Sat, 11am–7:30pm Tue & Wed, 1–5pm Sun

    • Free


    • www.nypl.org




    New York Public Library

  7. St. Patrick’s Cathedral

    America’s
    largest Catholic cathedral is a place where more than 5,000 people
    worship every Sunday. When Archbishop John Hughes decided to build a
    cathedral here in 1850, many criticized the choice of a site so far from
    the city’s center at the time. Today his foresight has given the church
    one of the best locations in Manhattan .

    • 5th Ave, between 50th & 51 Sts

    • Open 6:30am– 8:45pm daily

    • Free




    St. Patrick’s Cathedral



    St. Patrick’s Cathedral



    William O. Partridge’s Pieta, St. Patrick’s Cathedral

  8. United Nations Headquarters

    John
    D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated $8.5 million to purchase the 18-acre East
    River site, and American Wallace Harrison worked with international
    consultants to create this striking headquarters. The United Nations was
    formed in 1945, to work for peace and economic and social well-being
    around the globe. Currently, 192 members meet in the General Assembly,
    the closest thing to a world parliament. Guided tours allow visitors to
    see the various council chambers, the General Assembly Hall, and many of
    the works by prominent artists, including Marc Chagall and Henry Moore.

    • 1st Ave at 46th St

    • Open (for tours) 9:45am–4:45pm daily (Jan–Feb: Mon–Fri only)

    • Admission charge


    • www.un.org

  9. 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.

    • 47th St, between 5th & 6th Aves




  10. 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 . Tours are available for a fee.